Agenda item

a)    Response from the Cabinet Member for Local Economy regarding the future parking provision in Horsham

b)    Response from the Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets regarding Council Tax collection dates (verbal update)

a) The Cabinet Member for the Local Economy attended the meeting of the Committee and presented his response to the recommendation which had been made in relation to the future parking provision for the District.

The Cabinet Member explained that the officers were in the process of collating data from a transport survey of the town centre. In addition, external consultants would be used to review the rural car parks.

With the ANPR roll out this would allow officers to gather and analyse data on the usage and patterns of the town car parks.

The Chairman explained that the concerns of the Committee related to the increase in housing in the District which would probably lead to an increase in car ownership. Members felt that there needed to be a strategy in place to address this, otherwise it could affect the local economy. The Parking Services Manager was looking at options to address the increase in housing and car ownership.

Once results from the survey and data had been gathered then possible options and solutions would be explored.

Members felt that other factors that should be explored such as car sharing, the underutilisation of the Park and Ride in Horsham and the possibility of an additional Park and Ride on the other side of Horsham, were equally as important as additional car parks.

Henfield village was an example of a rural village which suffered as a result of its limited parking. Members were concerned that many of the villages in the South of the District did not have train links either and this, along with the lack of parking, could be detrimental to them. Also Members were concerned that implementing charges in the village car parks could also be detrimental to the economy

The Parking Services Manager explained that by using the external consultant this would help his department understand what was happening in the villages in terms of rural parking.

The traffic and transport study would take place over the coming months and it was anticipated that a report would be available for the Committee in August.

The Committee welcomed the study and the work that was being undertaken by Parking Services and the Cabinet Member.

b) The Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets attended the meeting of the Committee to provide an update on the recommendation made by the Committee regarding some flexibility in terms of Council Tax collection dates.

The Cabinet Member explained that the Council was aware of the financial difficulties some residents suffered; however there was already an element of flexibility in the system, allowing residents to pay over either 10 or 12 months with the option to choose from one of three collection dates in the month.

The Cabinet Member was concerned that allowing exceptional flexibility could be financially detrimental to the Council; however he explained that he was always interested in exploring options to assist people.

This was a complex area as the Council collected Council Tax on behalf of other agencies.

Some mechanisms were already in place with the Citizens Advice Bureau to assist residents with financial difficulties.

The Committee welcomed the Cabinet Member’s response; this had originally arisen at a meeting of the Social Inclusion Working Group when the Financial Inclusion and Engagement Officer from West Sussex County Council attended the meeting and explained about more flexible systems which were currently in place at other councils, which could similarly be adopted at Horsham.

The Director of Finance explained that some work had already begun to address this issue and the Business Transformation Officer would be working on a business case to look at all of the issues involved and the Director of Finance would report back in July.