The Director or Regeneration and Neighbourhoods introduced the report which detailed the number of issues in relation to overnight parking across the Isle of Sheppey.

The Chair invited Members to make comments which included:

·           Over the last few years numerous complaints had been received about the shingle bank as well as good news about people being happy with the current situation;

·           disappointed that the Committee did not have the chance to review the situation earlier;

·           thanked the officers for the hard work put into the questions shown in the public consultation as they accurately reflected the issues that the public raised at the Sheppey Area Committee;

·           requested that the consultation lasted for at least six to eight weeks;

·           thought the consultation needed more context on the price of parking for camper vans so it was understood what facilities would be available?;

·           was the pricing based on similar areas in the country?;

·           strongly supported the use of CCTV as the areas were in remote locations;

·           the residents of the affected areas needed to be contacted directly about the consultation;

·           the welfare of those people taking residency at Shingle Bank needed to be considered;

·           parish and town councils need to be consulted;

·           who owned the Shingle Bank?;

·           could officers look at placing consultation flyers on the community bus and in local businesses on the Isle of Sheppey?;

·           to engage the communities’ ideas on the Shingle Bank, youth clubs should be included in the consultation;

·           it was difficult to find the right balance to ensure residents and visitors could enjoy the area; and

·           the use of CCTV needed to be carefully considered and outline what the CCTV would be used for and what the public could expect from it.

The Director of Regeneration and Neighbourhoods said that the consultation would run for a minimum of six weeks and that officers would investigate how they could reach all the residents on the Isle of Sheppey. She added that officers were aware of the vulnerable situation of those individuals that took residency on the Shingle Bank and the Council would explore what possible support may be available.

The Head of Environment and Leisure responded to say that there were no facilities on the Shingle Bank as it would not be viable with the current resources. He added that ownership of the Shingle Banks was not clear, but it was custom practice that Swale Borough Council owned the land the shingle bank sat on, and the Environment Agency were responsible for the shingle bank as it was a sea defence.

The Head of Environment and Leisure assured Members that a full business case of how the shingle bank would operate in the future would be presented at the March 2025 Community and Leisure Committee.

Councillor Elliott Jayes moved the following motion: That recommendation (2) be changed to read ‘That all Town/Parish Councils on the Isle of Sheppey be included in the public consultation’. This was seconded by Councillor Tom Nundy and on being put to the vote, agreed by Members.

Councillor Elliott Jayes proposed the recommendations as set out in the report, as amended. This was seconded by Councillor Tara Noe and on being put to the vote, agreed by Members.

Resolved:

(1)   That the preferred options as set out in Appendix I of the report, go out to public consultation.

(2)   That all Town/Parish Councils on the Isle of Sheppey be included in the public consultation.

(3)   That officers explored the use of CCTV provision to protect these assets.