Agenda item

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

·         that schemes be designed with consideration to schools and provide for essential vehicles where these cannot be accommodated within the school site.

The Care and Health Workers’ Parking Exemption Scheme was recommended to be made permanent following a successful 12-month pilot scheme. The year’s trial was an enhanced exemption permit scheme for care and health workers and social care staff to widen it to include allowing the use of yellow line restrictions when no other parking options were readily available.

Nearly 10,000 permits had now been made available to service providers around the County and the scheme had been well received by social service teams, the NHS, charities and private company providers, and proved an extremely well-timed initiative as the Covid crises began to emerge across the Country in the Spring.

Based on feedback from current users, it was proposed that the current scheme was retained and became permanent, details of the scheme can be seen in the link. https://www.devon.gov.uk/roadsandtransport/parking/parking-permits/exemptions-careworkers/

It was also proposed that the Scheme be extended to permit up to 3 hours parking on “no waiting” restrictions (increasing from 1 hour previously permitted), the use of a permit be simplified and parking limited to maximum of 3 hours from the start time of the parking period set by the user as indicated on the time clock for all the current exempted restriction types namely; limited waiting, residents parking, pay & display bays and yellow lines (so long as there was no restriction on “loading”) when undertaking a visit to a client, that replacement timeclocks be issued at time of renewal of an improved quality (timeclock similar to the blue badge issued to those with mobility or hidden disabilities) and the scheme continued to be offered without charge to users, except for replacement permits (see section 5).

The Report outlined the positive environmental impact of the policies, for the

Highway Safety Policy, there would be clarity and accuracy of reporting, therefore lowering the number of visits made to a location and in reducing noise pollution for residents caused by noisy ironworks.

In Residents’ Parking, the scheme would positively affect consumption of fossil fuels in vehicles and for the Care and Health Workers’ Parking Exemption Scheme, positively affect consumption of fossil fuels in vehicles by reducing the need for health and care staff to travel when locating suitable parking opportunities near their client’s homes.

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

For the Highway Safety Policy, there were no unmanageable consequences. The proposed policy had been prepared as an accessible document for publication on the website and the proposed amendments sought to simplify and consolidate defect categorisation. By giving a clearer indication of a safety defect the Council was further empowering the public to make accurate and useful reports through promoting better understanding.

In Residents’ Parking, there were no unmanageable consequences. The increase in permit charge was low in relation to costs generally associated with car ownership and the increase in charge was proportionate in context of influencing behaviour to reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality and reduce the county’s impact on climate change.

For the Impact Assessment for the Care and Health Workers’ Parking Exemption Scheme, again there were no there were no unmanageable consequences. The scheme had been in place for a year and had been well received and supported by residents who recognised and valued the intentions of the permit scheme and the benefits it delivered to the care provider and their patients or clients.

The impact and effectiveness of the scheme would continue to be monitored, but the scheme fully supports equality and diversity requirements under The Equality Act 2010 and the Protected Characteristics defined in that legislation.

The matter having been debated and the options and/or alternatives and other relevant factors (e.g. financial, sustainability (including carbon impact), risk management, equality and legal considerations and Public Health impact) set out in the Chief Officer’s Report and/or referred to above having been considered:

it was MOVED by Councillor Hughes, SECONDED by Councillor Hart, and

RESOLVED

(a) (i) that the Highway Safety Policy Version 6.1 be approved;

(a) (ii) that delegated authority be given to the Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste in consultation with the County Solicitor and the Cabinet Member for Highway Management to approve policy amendments to the Highway Safety Policy until the next formal review.

(b) (i) that the Residents’ Parking Policy TMP 32/20 be approved;

(b) (ii) that the Traffic Regulation Order being advertised in order to implement the requested modifications to the County On Street Parking Traffic Order be agreed and that authority to resolve any objections be delegated to the Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Highway Management; and

(b) (iii) that delegated authority be given to the Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste in consultation with the County Solicitor and the Cabinet Member for Highway Management to approve policy amendments to the Residents’ Parking Policy until the next formal review.

(c) (i) that the Care and Health Workers’ Parking Exemption Scheme being made a permanent scheme for care and health workers and social workers to use in their delivery of essential care and services to patients / clients with minor modifications to reflect the incoming feedback from current users and improve the benefits of the scheme be approved;

(c) (ii) that the Traffic Regulation Order being advertised in order to implement the requested modifications to the Care & Health Workers’ Parking Exemption Scheme be agreed, and that authority to resolve any objections be delegated to the Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Highways Management, and the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care & Health Services; and

(c) (iii) that delegated authority be given to the Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste in consultation with the County Solicitor, the Cabinet Member for Highway Management and the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care & Health Services to approve policy amendments to the Care & Health Workers’ Parking Exemption Scheme until the next formal review.

(NB: The Impact Assessments referred to above may be viewed alongside Minutes of this meeting and may also be available on the Impact Assessment Webpages).