Agenda item

            The Senior Development Manager submitted for the Committee’s consideration the following report:

 

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of Main Issues

 

1.1       To provide the Committee with an update on the Belfast Car Parking Strategy and Action Plan.

 

2.0       Recommendations

 

2.1       The Committee is requested to:

 

                                                         i.   note the update on the Belfast Car Parking Strategy and Action Plan, and progress with key recommendations; and

 

                                                       ii.   agree the proposed approach to engagement across the work strands of the Car Park Strategy.

 

3.0       Main Report

 

3.1       The Belfast City Centre Regeneration and Investment Strategy (BCCRIS) identified the need for a parking strategy and action plan to ensure appropriate provision and location of parking to support the vitality of the city centre. A Car Park Strategy (CPS) and Action Plan was published in May 2018. Public consultation took place between August and November 2016, including an event in the City Hall which was open to Members, key stakeholders and the general public.

 

3.2       The CPS included a comprehensive baseline review of parking, focused largely within the city centre and surrounding neighbourhoods, which identified parking issues, challenges and opportunities, and outlined a number of objectives and actions to support the Strategy’s vision; ‘Belfast is a city offering sufficient, high quality and appropriately located parking which supports economic development and regeneration within the city by balancing the requirements of residents, businesses, commuters and visitors’.

 

3.3       The baseline review generally concluded that there is sufficient overall public parking supply within the city centre; a significant proportion of all day commuter parking takes place in the city centre; the quality of car parking facilities and payment technology varies greatly; and better management of parking demand and supply is needed to provide an integrated parking information system. The report also noted the impact of commuters who park in mainly residential areas, which prevents local residents from parking, adding to the cluttered feel of individual streets, decreasing perceived safety levels and reducing access for emergency service vehicles.

 

3.4       To address the issues identified, a number of objectives were agreed:

 

·        ensure appropriate provision to support city centre and district centres;

 

·        encourage sustainable commuter travel;

 

·        minimise potential impacts on residential communities;

 

·        improve quality of parking information;

 

·        identify opportunities to provide secure bicycle and coach parking; and

 

·        ensure appropriate provision for taxis within the city centre.

 

3.5       In terms of delivery, a number of actions for the relevant statutory organisations were identified. A Belfast City Council officer led Car Park Working Group, overseen by the City Regeneration and Development section was established to oversee and report on implementation, with actions grouped within four work streams, and a lead department / organisation. A summary of the four work streams is outlined below.

 

3.6       Operational

 

            The Operational work stream is managed by the City and Neighbourhood Services Off-Street Parking Unit and includes issues such as Parking Orders, tariffs, ticketing and enforcement.

 

3.7       The Off-Street Parking Unit (OSPU) are progressing the development of the Belfast Off Street Parking Order, which includes a review of tariffs, and blue badge parking policy. In August 2019, City Growth and Regeneration Committee agreed that a twelve-week period of consultation would commence on the Order. During this period, consultees will have the opportunity to put forward their views on other issues including on-street parking and residents parking schemes. The findings of the public consultation will be reported back to Members.

 

3.8       The CPS also suggested providing additional Belfast Bike docking stations within or adjacent to parking facilities. A Strategic Review of the Belfast Bikes Scheme is currently underway, which included engagement with members, and final recommendations will be presented to City Growth and Regeneration Committee at a future date.

 

3.9       Parking Forum

 

            The Parking Forum work stream covers the actions relating to the wider car parking offer in the City, including off-street, on-street and private operators. The first meeting of the Parking Forum took place in September 2019 and will bring together statutory bodies and private car park operators. The Forum will facilitate sharing of information among stakeholders, with a view to finding solutions to common issues, such as the use of smart technologies to facilitate ease of parking and payment, improved information signage and direction to spaces and the potential introduction of quality standards across car parks.

 

3.10     Strategic Sites Assessment (SSA)

 

            This work stream is overseen by the City Regeneration and Development Team, with actions including the monitoring of parking stock across the city centre and identifying opportunities to consolidate surface parking to provide a balanced parking offer while releasing development opportunities. The CPS identified a number of benefits from carefully planned rationalisation of surface car parking, including reduced traffic volumes from fewer circulating vehicles; reduced air pollution, improved road safety, and opportunities for regeneration.

 

3.11     An update on the emerging findings of the draft SSA was presented to the City Growth and Regeneration Committee in June 2019, followed by engagement with Members, by way of a workshop in September 2019, to discuss the emerging proposals and next steps. The key findings proposed three priority clusters be taken forward for further consideration; Inner North West, Clarendon and Ormeau Avenue. A further report detailing the outworking’s of the member engagement and emerging next steps will be brought to Committee in the near future.

 

3.12     The SSA work stream will also continue to monitor car parking across the city centre, taking into account new multi-storey car parks, and other factors impacting supply, including future development proposals and transportation schemes. Further analysis is being undertaken and findings will be reported to a future meeting of Committee.

 

3.13     (4) Transport

 

            The actions within this work stream are generally the responsibility of the Department for Infrastructure (DfI), in consultation with Council Officers and other statutory partners. DfI provided an update on infrastructure issues including car parking at their Bi-annual Report to the City Growth and Regeneration Committee in August 2019.

 

3.14     The CPS recommends a number of Transport related actions including:

 

§  a review of on-street parking controls (tariffs, controlled zones, ticketing & payment);

 

§  improved enforcement;

 

§  review and implementation of Resident Parking Zones;

 

§  new Park and Ride sites and review of parking costs at Park and Ride sites;

 

§  improvements to cycling infrastructure; and

 

§  minimising traffic in the BMTP core.

 

3.15     DfI is currently preparing the Belfast Metropolitan Transport Strategy (BMTS) which will inform a number of the actions of the Transport work stream. Council are represented on the Project Board of the BMTS and Members will continue to be consulted throughout the process.

 

3.16     The Local Development Plan will contain policies relating to transportation and parking, setting Council’s position on issues including parking standards for development proposals and accommodation of sustainable modes of travel.

 

3.17     Engagement

 

            Given the far reaching impacts of work being progressed, engagement and communication with city-wide stakeholders will be critical to successful delivery. In this context, it is important to note that the CPS is a ‘City’ strategy that will require cross-sector working and collaboration, in particular with DfI, which remains responsible for on-street parking, transport and infrastructure.

 

3.18     As agreed by the City Growth and Regeneration Committee on 9th September (and as ratified by the Council), a twelve-week period of consultation is planned in relation to the Parking Order and members will be updated throughout the process.

 

3.19     It is proposed that specific engagement is undertaken on the emerging work-streams of the SSA work following agreement of the next steps, and agreement with other land-holders where appropriate.

 

3.20     It is proposed that the City Growth and Regeneration Committee provides official correspondence to the DfI highlighting the issues caused by problem parking and to request their support in resolving. DfI have completed one Residents Parking Zone in the Rugby Road area, which opened in April 2018. The Department will evaluate the impact of this initiative, and review the Residents’ Parking Zone Policy. The DfI is also currently implementing a new RPZ in the Iveagh area.

 

3.21     It is also proposed that the Council undertakes detailed engagement with communities where on-street parking issues are most prevalent in order to seek agreement on potential priority resident parking schemes in these areas. This engagement will seek to identify the potential requirements of the parking scheme appropriate for the particular area, and to gain majority support to enable the DfI to action.

 

3.22     Financial and Resource Implications

 

            In order to undertake the detailed engagement required to address problem parking issues in residential areas there will be a financial requirement of up to £15k which will be met from within existing budgets.

 

 

3.23     Equality or Good Relations Implications/Rural Needs Assessment

 

            No specific equality or good relations implications at this time.”

 

            After discussion, the Committee adopted the recommendations, subject to the proposed engagement with the Department for Infrastructure on problem parking alluded to within paragraph 3.20 of the report being amended to provide that the Council would instead develop a comprehensive framework for submission to the Department and make reference to clean air zones, electric vehicle infrastructure and employer workplace levies.