Purpose

Analysis of off-street parking places and
consideration given for public consultation.

Content

RESOLVED

That the Cabinet:

a)               
agrees the off-street parking sites (K2 Crawley, The Hawth Theatre,
Goffs Park Lower) that will be subject to public consultation under
the Traffic Management Act 2004 as set out in
Appendix A of report
HCS/092.

b)               
delegates authority to the Head of Community Services to undertake
public consultation for the agreed off street
car parking sites.

c)               
agrees that the results of the public consultation of the off
street sites be bought back to Cabinet for further consideration in
June 2025.

d)               
delegates authority to the Head of Community Services in
consultation with the Cabinet Member to issue a notification of
variation to charges for Orchard Street Multi-Storey Car
Park. 

Reasons for the
Recommendations

Following a review of off-street parking sites
where issues such as road safety, congestion, capacity constraints
or locations incurring regular revenue costs associated with
maintenance or operations, a detailed financial and operational
analysis was undertaken for three key sites considered to viable to
introduce parking charges and wider parking controls.

Where the site is both operationally and
socio-economically viable, it is recommended that the Council
undertakes statutory consultation under the Traffic Management Act
2004.

This approach ensures that any introduction of
parking charges is proportionate, evidence-led, and underpinned by
a clear rationale. It also reflects the wider need for sites to be
self-sustaining, and where appropriate, capable of generating a
modest surplus that can support maintenance, reinvestment, and the
financial resilience of the Council’s parking estate.

Orchard Street Multi-Storey Car Park is the
Council’s largest Multi-Storey Car Park and is substantially
underutilised. Following the successful trial of ‘volume over
value’ at Kingsgate Car Park, reducing the parking tariffs at
the site, and introducing new ‘Town Centre Worker’
permits alongside the existing Residential and Business Permits
scheme seeks to drive up occupancy of the site, and increase
overall revenue to the site.