The Head of Environment and Leisure introduced the report which provided a response to the motion at Full Council meeting on 2 April 2025 to transfer the free car parks in Sheppey to the relevant town and parish council, amended to cover all free car parks across the Borough. 

The Head of Environment and Leisure said that the Council Parking Policy set out the Council’s principles for the management of on and off-street parking across the borough and the Property Asset Strategy covered how the Council made best use of its assets. It was felt that applying a blanket approach to free proposed car parks was not the best way forward. He added that talks with Parishes and Town Councils were already underway and that under legislation the Council were required to show best consideration for each car park. Therefore, before the Economy and Property Committee could make any asset transfer decision, the Environmental Services and Climate Change Committee were responsible for reviewing what tariffs were charged in car parks and needed to consider if any of the free ones could be used to support the budget process.

The Chair invited Members to make comments and points raised included:

·           Recommendation one needed to define what the relevant committee was;

·           had a strategic assessment for utilities been carried out on the car parks?;

·           had officers thought about future opportunities to connect the car parks to the electrical grids so that they could be a useful asset in the future;

·           concerned that the report did not give full details of the number of spaces and the type of usage at the car park sites, so it was difficult to make a decision without knowing all the dynamics of the sites; and

·           it was important to specify which committee was responsible for making the decision to provide clarity.

The Head of Environment and Leisure responded to points raised and agreed that recommendation one could be amended so that both the Environmental Services and Climate Change Committee as well as the Economy and Property Committee could make individual decisions on any asset transfer of the Council car parks. He added that any financial implications may need to be referred to the Policy and Resources Committee.

The Head of Environment and Leisure said that all Council assets including car parks had utility plans in place and officers were aware of the importance to make car parks suitable for the future.

The Head of Place clarified that a decision to charge for parking at a current ‘free car park’ needed to be made by the Environmental Services and Climate Change Committee.

The Vice-Chair said that a key part of the transfer process was building a relationship with the parishes and town councils. He proposed that recommendation one be amended to: ‘This committee resolves that individual decisions on asset transfers are made on each car park that is suitable for transfer, at Economy and Property Committee following the recommendations from Environmental Services and Climate Change Committee’. This was seconded by the Chair and on being put to the vote, it was agreed.

Resolved:

(1)    That individual decisions on asset transfers be made on each car park that was suitable for transfer, at the Economy and Property Committee following the recommendations from the Environmental Services and Climate Change Committee.

(2)    That Officers continue to discuss possible transfers with Town and Parish Councils as part of the overall asset transfer process.

(3)    That the matter on charging at free car parks be referred to the Environmental Services and Climate Change Committee, to ensure best value principles were followed.