Decision details

Consideration was given to recommendation CE 23/45 of the Communities and Environment Scrutiny Select Committee of 6 November 2023 in respect of proposals for existing on street and off street parking fees and charges.

Due regard was given to the set of guiding principles for the setting of fees and charges, the legal, financial and value for money implications together with the views expressed by the Scrutiny Select Committee.  It was also noted that the last annual review of car parking charges was in 2021 and since those charges were implemented in June 2022, the high level of inflation had impacted on the cost of providing the parking service.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)        the proposed fees and charges for existing on street and off street parking, as set out below, be approved for formal public consultation in November 2023 and the outcomes reported to future meetings of the Joint Transportation Board and the Cabinet as appropriate, with implementation from 1 April 2024:

(i)         the schedule of proposed charges for off-street short and long stay parking in Tonbridge as shown in Table 1 of the report, be approved;

(ii)        the schedules of proposed Peak and Off-Peak Season Ticket charges in Tonbridge as shown in Tables 2 and 3 respectively, be approved;

(iii)        the charges for the Tonbridge Town Centre Residents Season ticket be increased to £90 for a 3-month ticket and £360 for an annual ticket respectively as set out in 1.6.4 of the report;

(iv)       the designated area for the Tonbridge Town Centre Residents Season ticket be extended to include residential properties in the area shown in orange in the Plan attached at Annex 1 and as detailed in 1.6.1 of the report;

(v)        the schedules of proposed charges for long stay and short stay parking in West Malling as shown in Tables 4 and 5 respectively and as detailed in 1.8.4 of the report, be approved, including increasing the charge for Ryarsh Lane car park annual season ticket to £290;

(vi)       the schedule of proposed charges for parking in Borough Green Western Road car park as shown in Table 6, be approved;

(vii)       the schedule of proposed charges for Residents Permits as shown in Table 7, be approved; the charge of 6-month Residents Permits offered to non-UK registered vehicles belonging to residents be increased to £28.50, as detailed in 1.9.2 of the report;

(viii)      the schedule of proposed charges for Business and Carers Permits and Dispensations as shown in Table 8, be approved;

(ix)       the charge of Visitor Permits be increased to £14 for a book of 10 permits, with the current offer of 10 free permits to new applicants being retained, as set out in 1.10.2 of the report;

(x)        the schedule of proposed charges for Haysden Country Park car park as shown in Table 9, be approved; and

(xi)       the schedule of proposed charges for on-street Pay & Display parking in Tonbridge as shown in Table 10, be approved; and

(2)      investigation be undertaken in respect of the facility of card reader ticket machines and/or adding card reading facility to existing car park ticket machines, and the outcomes be reported back to a future meeting of the Communities and Environment Scrutiny Select Committee.