Agenda item

To consider any questions submitted by Members of the Council, in accordance with Standing Order 4.8.11 (b).

In accordance with Standing Order 4.8.11, four questions had been submitted by the required deadline set out in the Constitution.

(A)  Free After 3pm Parking

Councillor Tim Johnson to Councillor Daniel Allen (Interim Executive Member for Planning and Transport)

(B)  Response to Local Government Re-Organisation White Paper

Councillor Ralph Muncer to Councillor Daniel Allen (Leader of the Council)

(C)  Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) – Issued

Councillor Ralph Muncer to Councillor Daniel Allen (Interim Executive Member for Planning and Transport)

(D)  Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) – Appeals

Councillor Ralph Muncer to Councillor Daniel Allen (Interim Executive Member for Planning and Transport)

Audio recording – 3 hours 47 minutes

In accordance with Standing Order 4.8.11, four questions had been submitted by the required deadline set out in the Constitution.

(A) Free After 3pm Parking

Councillor Tim Johnson to Councillor Daniel Allen (Interim Executive Member for Planning and Transport):

“Can the Executive Member for Planning and Transport clarify why the administration is getting rid of free after three pm parking in Royston, citing consistency across the area, when anomalies are allowed to remain elsewhere, and what consultation has been done with local businesses?"

Councillor Daniel Allen gave a response as follows:

“The parking was never free it was a subsidised tariff paid for by the Herts County Council members and since this is no longer being paid, the District has published the tariff, so any organisation has transparency as to what needs to be subsidised.”

A supplementary question was asked by Councillor Tim Johnson:

“Will the Cabinet publish the impact assessment undertaken in June 2023?”

Councillor Daniel Allen gave a response as follows:

“The assessment will be published in due course and has already been shared with the relevant parties.”

(B) Response to Local Government Re-Organisation White Paper

Councillor Ralph Muncer to Councillor Daniel Allen (Leader of the Council):

“To ask the Leader of the Council what proposals the administration intend to bring forward in response to the Local Government Re-organisation announced as part of the Government’s English Devolution White Paper?”

Councillor Daniel Allen gave a response as follows:

“The Council is working with colleagues from the County Council, all 10 of the District and Borough Councils and the Police and Crime Commissioner to consider what the White Paper can mean for Hertfordshire. These groups have joined together in a Working Group and our council is being represented by the Managing Director. Any decisions will be based on the evidence and what is the best outcome for the communities that we serve.”

A supplementary question was asked by Councillor Ralph Muncer:

“Why are you against a singular unitary Council?”

Councillor Daniel Allen gave a response as follows:

“Our county is diverse and any reform of local government should consider residents, businesses, local representatives and stake holders and a single unitary authority would take away from the communities we serve.”

(C) Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) – Issued

Councillor Ralph Muncer to Councillor Daniel Allen (Interim Executive Member for Planning and Transport)

“How many Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) were issued by this authority in 2024?”

Councillor Daniel Allen gave a response as follows:

“15,623.”

A supplementary question was asked by Councillor Ralph Muncer:

“Can Councillor Allen confirm the total income from those fixed notices, and whether the directorate of which is responsible for enforcing parking in North Hertfordshire makes a net profit?”

Councillor Daniel Allen gave a response as follows:

“I do not have figures like that off the top of my head, but I will get back to you with that data.”

(D) Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) – Appeals

Councillor Ralph Muncer to Councillor Daniel Allen (Interim Executive Member for Planning and Transport)

“How many of the PCNs issued by this authority in 2024 were successfully appealed?”

Councillor Daniel Allen gave a response as follows:

“The answer is 1,948 which is 12.5%.”

A supplementary question was asked by Councillor Ralph Muncer:

“What are the costs associated to the Council with upholding those appeals, and the cost of lost revenue from those 12.5%?”

Councillor Daniel Allen gave a response as follows:

“I will have to get back to you, of those appeals 29 were due to medical emergencies, 315 were due to blue badge holders who had forgotten or covered up their badges, 451 had valid tickets produced afterwards were the ticket had blown off the dashboard and 1,143 of these were broken down cars, loading PayPal errors, pay by phone errors, the wrong reg numbers. All these appeals are understandable reasons and show that we believe in a fairer greener North Herts.”