Agenda and minutes

No apologies were received.

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any personal and/or prejudicial interests in any item on the agenda

In relation to Items 6, 7 and 8, Councillors P Mason and A Thwaite made a personal declaration as they were members of Congleton Town Council.

In accordance with Procedure Rules Nos.11 and 35 a period of 10 minutes is allocated for members of the public to address the meeting on any matter relevant to the work of the meeting. Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes but the Chairman will decide how the period of time allocated for public speaking will be apportioned where there are a number of speakers. Members of the public are not required to give notice to use this facility. However, as a matter of courtesy, a period of 24 hours’ notice is encouraged.

Members of the public wishing to ask a question at the meeting should provide three clear working days’ notice, in writing, in order for an informed answer to be given.

Messrs Iain McKinlay and Graham Goodwin addressed the Cabinet Member for Environmental Services in relation to Item 6 – Congleton Car Parking Review Report.

In response to a question from Mr Goodwin, the Head of Safer and Stronger Communities confirmed that the enforcement of parking restrictions would be relaxed for trades’ vans parked in Princess Street Car Park.

To consider a policy to control the use of Advertising Boards and Goods displayed on the highway by the introduction of a guidelines scheme.

This item was withdrawn at the meeting.

To consider a policy on the installation, maintenance or removal of traffic calming schemes within the highway.

The Cabinet Member considered a report detailing a policy on the installation, maintenance and removal of traffic calming schemes.

Various traffic calming schemes had been implemented throughout the Borough over a number of years. These schemes were generally safety or environmentally led.  The safety related schemes were implemented to reduce the number of killed or seriously injured incidents and environmental schemes were installed in response to residents’ road safety concerns with the benefit of majority support. 

In view of the pressure on the Highway Maintenance Budget, the deteriorating network and traffic claming maintenance requirements, it was proposed that, where highway maintenance work would require the reinstatement of any traffic calming feature likely to make the maintenance operation more difficult or more costly, the need for those features should be reviewed.  The aim of the review would be to assess the ongoing need for the features, looking at the original case made for the scheme and to determine if it was delivering the original objective. If not, the humps and speed cushions or other features would be considered for removal as part of the maintenance works. 

In considering the traffic calming policy appended to the report, Members requested that the first sentence of paragraph 3 be amended as follows:

“New sites will normally only be considered for traffic calming where there are personal injury accidents on the proposed roads.”

This amendment would be incorporated into the policy document.

RESOLVED:

That the Traffic Calming Policy (as amended), as set out in Appendix A to the Report, be approved.

To consider a report on the Congleton Parking Review Report and to seek approval for the actions proposed.

The Cabinet Member considered a report on the Congleton Parking Review, which had been undertaken as required and promised following the introduction of control and off street charging in Congleton town centre in February 2010. 

The review had taken place in August and September of this year and had consisted of an analysis of off street car park usage and availability, of the street parking restrictions, and of enforcement activity.  Consultation had taken place with Ward Councillors, town councillors and the town centre manager and with members of the Congleton Business Association.   The recommendations of the Report stemmed from these studies and consultations and were felt to represent an improvement to the control and provisions of parking services in the town which still adhered to the objectives in the Council’s Parking Strategy.  Local Ward Councillors would be consulted further at all stages of the Action Plan, including the design stage.  Local residents would also be consulted.

The Ward Councillors comments on the recommendations in the report were circulated.  A key concern was that there should be a provision for low cost residents’ permits in a number of selected car parks and that the whole subject of residents parking schemes should be subject to resurvey.  The Cabinet Member agreed to take their comments into consideration. At the request of Ward Councillors, the paper listing their comments, as circulated at the meeting, would be made available on the Council’s website.

The Cabinet Member invited Mr McKinlay and Mr Goodwin to make representations in respect of this item.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)   the Congleton Parking Review Report be noted; and

(2)   Officers be authorised to take appropriate action to progress the recommendations within the Review Report including, where appropriate, the production of further reports requesting that statutory consultation be carried out in relation to proposed orders.

To consider proposals to change the charging hours on the relevant car parks in Congleton town, from 8am to 6pm Monday to Saturday, to 9am to 5pm Monday to Saturday and to make consequential changes.

The Cabinet Member considered a report which detailed proposals to change the charging hours on car parks in Congleton town from 8 am to 6 pm Monday to Saturday to 9 am to 5 pm Monday to Saturday and to make consequential changes arising therefrom.

The amended hours would prove beneficial to town centre residents in particular, who otherwise find difficulty parking at the beginning and end of the day without charge.  Adequate control and management of the car parks would be achieved by the new hours because they covered the key trading and business period in the town.

RESOLVED:   That

(1) subject to statutory consultation, a proposed amendment be made to the Cheshire East Borough Council (Off Street Parking Places) (Congleton Area) Order 2010 (as amended to comply with the Traffic Management Act 2004), the effect of which will be as follows:

(a)   to change the Charging Hours 8am to 6pm (Monday to Saturday) to 9am to 5pm (Monday to Saturday) in relation to the following car parks in Congleton: Antrobus Street, Princess Street, Fairground, Roe Street, Back Park Street, Chapel Street, West Street and Park Street;

(b) to amend the Maximum Period a Vehicle may wait within the Charging Hours from 10 hours to 8 hours in relation to the following car parks in Congleton: Back Park Street; Chapel Street; West Street and Park Street

(c)  to amend the tariff structure to in relation Back Park Street, Chapel Street, West Street an Park Street car parks in Congleton from:

0 -2 hours £0.50; 2 – 4 hours £1.00; and 4 – 10 hours £1.50

to:

0 – 2 hours £0.50; 2 – 4 hours £1.00; and 4 – 8 hours £1.50

(2)  the Borough Solicitor, or officer acting on his behalf, be authorised to publish a notice of proposals in relation to the amendment order, with an objections to be made within the statutory consultation period of 21 days. In the event that objections are received, for these to be referred back to the Cabinet Member for consideration at a future meeting.

(3) in the event that no objections to the proposed amendment order are received, the Borough Solicitor, or officer acting on his behalf, be authorised to make and bring into force the proposed amendment order (as set out in (1) above) and to give notice thereof in accordance with statutory requirements.

To consider a proposed amendment to the Cheshire East Borough Council (Off Street Parking Places) (Congleton area) Order 2010 (as amended to comply with the Traffic Management Act 2004) (the Order) the effect of which will be to extend the maximum permitted length of stay on Princess Street Car Park, Congleton from 3 hours to 8 hours.

The Cabinet Member considered a report on a proposal to extend the maximum permitted length of stay on Princess Street Car Park, Congleton, from 3 hours to 8 hours.

Occupancy of Princess Street Car Park had been low since the introduction of control through charging.  Following the Car Parking Review and consultation with the Ward Councillors, Town Councillors and the Business Association, it was considered that this change would increase options for long stay users near to the centre and help reduce displacement parking in adjacent streets. 

However, it was also proposed to retain the short stay fees as the car park served local shops, businesses and the market.  The Car Park had 82 bays and had sufficient capacity to accommodate longer stay as well as shorter stay users.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)  subject to statutory consultation, a proposed amendment be made to the Cheshire East Borough Council (Off Street Parking Places) (Congleton Area) Order 2010 (as amended to comply with the Traffic Management Act 2004), the effect of which will be as follows:

(a) to extend the maximum permitted length of stay on Princess Street Car Park, Congleton from 3 hours to 8 hours; and

      (b) to amend the charging regime to the following: Monday to Saturday inclusive: 9am to 5pm: up to 1 hour: 30p; up to 2 hours: 50p; up to 3 hours: £1.00; up to 4 hours £1.00; up to 8 hours £1.50.

(2)  the Borough Solicitor, or officer acting on his behalf, be authorised to publish a notice of proposals in relation to the amendment order, with an objections to be made within the statutory consultation period of 21 days. In the event that objections are received, for these to be referred back to the Cabinet Member for consideration at a future meeting.

(3)  in the event that no objections to the proposed amendment order are received, the Borough Solicitor, or officer acting on his behalf, be authorised to make and bring into force the proposed amendment order (as set out in (1) above) and to give notice thereof in accordance with statutory requirements.