Issue - meetings

Report of the Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste (HIW/20/58) with the proposed policies as outlined below, attached.

(a) Highway Safety Policy

(b) Residents’ Parking Policy 

(c) Health and Care Workers Permit Scheme

There is an Impact Assessment for each of the Policies, also attached, for the attention of Members at this meeting.

(Councillors Brazil, Connett, Dewhirst, Hannaford, Hodgson and Whitton  attended remotely in accordance with Standing Order 25(2) and the Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020 and spoke to this item).

The Cabinet considered the Report of the Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste (HIW/20/58) presenting proposed policies as outlined below.

(a) Highway Safety Policy

(b) Residents’ Parking Policy 

(c) Health and Care Workers Permit Scheme

All Reports had been circulated prior to the meeting in accordance with regulation 7(4) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012.

This Report sought approval for the three policies.

The Highway Safety Policy had been reissued as version 6.0 on 5th September 2016 following a major review and the adoption of a risk-based approach to managing highway safety defects. This Policy had been recently reviewed and benchmarked with that of neighbouring authorities in the South Western Peninsula.

The three drivers for a policy review at this time were to remove the duplication of defect types, ensure the policy delivered a safe highway network whilst bringing parity with neighbouring authorities’ policies and the need to ensure that reactive response was limited to those defects with a demonstrable safety liability.

It was proposed that the Highway Safety Policy version 6.0, be amended to version 6.1 included at Appendix I(i) with an effective date of 1st January 2021. A summary of the changes from version 6.0 to 6.1 was outlined in Appendix I(ii).

The Residents’ Parking Policy had been developed through the Exeter HATOC Residents’ Parking Policy Working Group comprising members and officers. The group had set out to consider what aspects of Exeter’s residents parking strategy, policy, design and ‘rules’ were and were not working for residents, businesses and commuters. The aim was to improve the system for residents, businesses and commuters whilst continuing to support the Council’s work to reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality and reduce the County’s impact on climate change. During those discussions officers and Members developed terms of reference, benchmarked other Authorities and reviewed with external agencies including Exeter University. The policy for approval had been developed following the output from these meetings.

The Residents’ Parking Policy TMP 32/20 was included at Appendix II and was intended to provide the best balance between the needs of residents whilst contributing to the management of congestion and air quality.

The key proposed changes were:

·         a differential charge be adopted to discourage multiple car ownership and encourage uptake of EV and lower emission vehicles;

·         that virtual permit technology be invested in, to allow robust enforcement and to address issues caused by cancelled or altered permits being displayed in vehicles;

·         that rules relating to new developments / redevelopments be clarified;

·         that schemes be designed with an exemption for Co Cars (and other recognised car clubs) to encourage uptake of these services and reduced reliance on private car ownership; and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 593