Agenda item

Any Items referred from other committees will be circulated as soon as they are available.

The Chair advised that referrals 6B, 6C, 6D, 6F and 6G referred from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee would be taken with the respective items on the agenda. Referrals 6A and 6E would be considered as standalone items.

6A)      Overview and Scrutiny Committee – Proposed Parking Tariffs for 2025/26

RESOLVED: That Cabinet:

(1)   Accepted the hard work from Royston Town Council, and the BID, and the support from them in relation to the ‘Free after 3pm’ scheme and to continue work with Knebworth Parish Council and to delegate the final decision on these discount schemes to the relevant Service Director, in consultation with the Executive Member for Planning and Transport, the Executive Member for Finance and IT and the Service Director – Resources.

(2)   Considered the increase in parking charges based on the updated modelling, specifically around the 4% increase in charges and reconfirmed the decision made by Cabinet on 11 February 2025.

(3)   Endorsed the importance of Overview & Scrutiny in supporting Cabinet in reaching robust policy decisions and works with the Chair of the Committee to effectively facilitate this. 

REASON FOR DECISIONS: To implement an increase in car parking tariffs and permits within resident parking zones in order to effectively manage their use and in accordance with the Council’s fees and charges policy as set out in its Medium- Term Financial Strategy (MTFS). To set car parking tariffs that support the achievement of modal shift away from private car use and to help support the vitality of town centres.

6E)      Overview and Scrutiny Committee – RIPA Annual Report

RESOLVED: That Cabinet adopted the amended RIPA Policy (Appendix A – to include updated titles within the appendix to the Policy after 1 April 2025).

REASON FOR DECISION: To comply with the best practice guidance and the Committee’s terms of reference.

Audio recording – 8 minutes 3 seconds

The Chair advised that the items 6B, 6C, 6D, 6F and 6G referred from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Finance Audit and Risk Committee would be taken with the respective items on the agenda. Items 6A and 6E would be considered as standalone items.

6A)      Overview and Scrutiny Committee – Proposed Parking Tariffs for 2025/26

In the absence of the Chair of Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Councillor Tom Tyson as Vice-Chair presented the referral on this item. Councillor Tyson advised that following discussion, three amended recommendations were proposed for Cabinet to accept, with particular note of recommendation 2.2 which highlighted an error in the original calculations for parking charges.

In response to the referral, the Chair advised that the Princes Mews car park in Royston would no longer be available as a public car park from 7 April 2025, as the landowners McCarthy and Stone, had requested back ownership of the car park as they wished to develop the area as part of a bigger development.

The Service Director – Resources advised that a supplementary document had been published detailing all the revised parking rates if the 4% principle was correctly applied, but stated that this had not altered the total amount of forecast income quoted and that this amount was still correct. 

The following Members took part in the debate:

·       Councillor Ian Albert

·       Councillor Tamsin Thomas

·       Councillor Mick Debenham

Points raised during the debate included:

·       Members were happy to accept recommendation 2.3 as Cabinet fully supported the work of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and valued any recommendations they proposed.

·       Members wished to thank Royston Town Council, the BID and Knebworth Parish Council for their support and willingness to work together on suggested car parking subsidies and were happy to delegate authority for final decisions to be made by relevant Directors and Executive Members.

Councillor Val Bryant proposed as amended and Councillor Dave Winstanley                  seconded and, following a vote it was:

RESOLVED: That Cabinet:

(1)   Accepted the hard work from Royston Town Council, and the BID, and the support from them in relation to the ‘Free after 3pm’ scheme and to continue work with Knebworth Parish Council and to delegate the final decision on these discount schemes to the relevant Service Director, in consultation with the Executive Member for Planning and Transport, the Executive Member for Finance and IT and the Service Director – Resources.

(2)   Considered the increase in parking charges based on the updated modelling, specifically around the 4% increase in charges and reconfirmed the decision made by Cabinet on 11 February 2025.

(3)   Endorsed the importance of Overview & Scrutiny in supporting Cabinet in reaching robust policy decisions and works with the Chair of the Committee to effectively facilitate this. 

REASON FOR DECISIONS: To implement an increase in car parking tariffs and permits within resident parking zones in order to effectively manage their use and in accordance with the Council’s fees and charges policy as set out in its Medium- Term Financial Strategy (MTFS). To set car parking tariffs that support the achievement of modal shift away from private car use and to help support the vitality of town centres.

6E)      Overview and Scrutiny Committee – RIPA Annual Report

In the absence of the Chair of Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Councillor Tom Tyson as Vice-Chair presented the referral on this item. Councillor Tyson advised the committee recommended this to ensure compliance.

The Monitoring Officer presented the report entitled ‘RIPA Annual Report’ and advised Members that the final version of this report would include an amended Appendix B to the policy to reflect the change of title from ‘Service Director’ to ‘Director’ from 1 April 2025.

Councillor Tamsin Thomas proposed and Councillor Mick Debenham seconded and, following a vote it was:

RESOLVED: That Cabinet adopted the amended RIPA Policy (Appendix A – to include updated titles within the appendix to the Policy).

REASON FOR DECISION: To comply with the best practice guidance and the Committee’s terms of reference.