Committee Report Checklist
Stage 1
Report checklist – responsibility of report owner
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ITEM |
Yes / No |
Date |
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Councillor engagement / input from Chair prior to briefing |
Yes |
01/09/2025 |
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Commissioner engagement (if report focused on issues of concern to Commissioners such as Finance, Assets etc) |
Yes |
29/08/2025 |
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Relevant Group Head review |
Yes |
15/07/2025 |
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MAT+ review (to have been circulated at least 5 working days before Stage 2) |
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This item is on the Forward Plan for the relevant committee |
Yes |
14/07/2025 |
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Reviewed by |
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Risk comments |
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Legal comments |
LH |
10/09/25 |
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HR comments (if applicable) |
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For reports with material financial or legal implications the author should engage with the respective teams at the outset and receive input to their reports prior to asking for MO or s151 comments.
Do not forward to stage 2 unless all the above have been completed.
Stage 2
Report checklist – responsibility of report owner
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ITEM |
Completed by |
Date |
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Monitoring Officer commentary – at least 5 working days before MAT |
L Heron |
10/09/2025 |
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S151 Officer commentary – at least 5 working days before MAT |
Ola Owolabi |
03/09/2025 |
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Confirm final report cleared by MAT |
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09/09/2025 |
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Title |
The Spelthorne Borough Council Off-Street Parking Places (Amendment no. 3) Order 2026 |
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Purpose of the report |
To make a Key Decision |
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Report Author |
Bruno Barbosa – Parking Services Operational Manager |
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Ward(s) Affected |
All Wards |
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Exempt |
Report – No Appendix 1 - Yes |
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Exemption Reason |
Appendix 1 of this report contains exempt information within the meaning of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 and by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006 Paragraph 3 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information), and in all circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information. |
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Corporate Priority |
Recovery Environment Service Delivery |
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Recommendations
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Committee is asked to recommend to Corporate Policy and Resources Committee to recommend to Council to: · Authorise the Group Head Neighbourhood Services to proceed with the proposals made in this report and to implement The Spelthorne Borough Council Off-Street Parking Places (Amendment no.3) Order 2026. · Authorise the Group Head Corporate Governance to publish all notices required to implement The Spelthorne Borough Council Off-Street Parking Places (Amendment no. 3) Order 2026. · Authorise the Group Head Neighbourhood Services in consultation with the Group Head Corporate Governance to consider and address any objections and to amend the proposals if necessary, following the public consultation. |
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Reason for Recommendation |
To ensure best value of the service provided and guarantee the legal requirement of financial self-sufficiency of civil enforcement is upheld, the report recommendations enable the implementation of the required changes to the existing Parking Order. |
1. Executive summary of the report
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What is the situation |
Why we want to do something |
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• The current Parking Order has amendments implemented in the last revision on October 2024. • The amendments increased the majority of tariff points and charges. • Despite a slight reduction in customer numbers, the new tariffs have increased the overall income expectation. • The new Leisure Centre in Knowle Green has a different map layout/location and is no longer enforceable in the current Parking Order. |
• A number of recreation grounds where civil enforcement is required to prevent misuse are operated at significant deficit due to the provision of a nil charge first tariff point that is largely the most used. • Business rates for some car parks have increased significantly, further reducing the cost-efficiency of them. • A number of benchmarked tariff points highlighted the need for some adjustments in our own tariff points and charges. • The introduction of a new Pay on Foot system at Elmsleigh Surface+MSCP requires the adjustment of some of the terms referenced in the original Parking Order. • Include the new Leisure Centre map in the Parking Order to enable its enforcement. |
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This is what we want to do about it |
These are the next steps |
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• Remove the provision of the starting nil charge tariff point where it’s provided. • If removal of this nil charge is not agreed, propose the reduction of the length of time of the starting nil charge tariff point where it’s provided. • If reduction of the nil tariff point length is not agreed, propose the removal of the relevant car parks from the parking Order, where the starting nil charge tariff point makes the car park run at a significant deficit to the council budget. • Adjust the wording on specific Parking Order terms to reflect the new ticketless Pay on Foot system at Elmsleigh Surface+MSCP • Make adjustments to wording to address noted operational issues/queries. • Update the map for the car park of the new Leisure Centre |
• Obtain Full Council approval for the preferred options; • Launch the statutory public consultation in line with the statutory instrument; • Implement the Amendment of the Parking Order as soon as practicable. |
1.1 This report seeks to receive Committee and Council approval to make an Amendment to the Spelthorne Borough Council Off-Street Parking Places Order 2020, for the changes proposed in this report. Options are provided to enable members to make fully informed decisions.
2. Key issues
2.1 All car parks in Recreation Grounds with a tariff that includes a nil charge first hour have a significant operational deficit associated to that tariff and customer habits. Despite an increase in the tariff points (excluding the nil charge for the first hour), the budgetary gap has not been met for those car parks. Abbey Drive, Green Street, Orchard Meadow, Laleham Broadway, Manor Park, Old Bathing Station and Dumsey Meadow have a combined operational deficit of £184k, so they either need to cease having a starting nil tariff point or they must be removed from the Parking Order to mitigate or eliminate the operational deficit they cause (further details on Appendix 1).
2.2 The new Pay on Foot system being installed in Elmsleigh Surface+MSCP will be fully ticketless, hence the wording for Pay on Foot processes on the Parking Order will not be accurate after the new system is in place.
2.3 The new PCN Management system will enable the introduction of virtual season tickets and contract permits. On the last Amendment a change was made on the wording of season tickets to enable virtual season tickets, but the same was not done for Contract Permits.
2.4 The Parking Order includes reference to season tickets for Disabled Badge Holders. This facility was removed in the original Parking Order in 2020.
2.5 The Parking Order references for Motorcycle parking could be read as permitting motorcycles taking marked bays reserved for other classes of vehicle if there is no motorcycle bay available, as such the wording needs to be revised to clarify that to benefit from free parking, motorcycles can only park in designated motorcycle bays (meaning that where there aren’t designated motorcycle bays, motorcycle parking is not permitted).
2.6 The Parking Order reference to Council staff and Member parking is not explicit enough in ensuring that members of the scheme are using the passes exclusively for use whilst on duty and not for commuter parking. The Council does not provide subsidised commuter parking to members of the scheme, which would be liable to the relevant taxation on pay benefits, and this provision is solely aimed at members of the scheme that are required to use their personal vehicles whilst on duty and use paid car parks to access sites during site visits (which would otherwise be a reimbursed expenditure).
2.7 Feedback was received that the Sunday tariff charge of £2 for any length of stay in some car parks can be interpreted as the maximum charge payable by a customer regardless of the amount of times they visit any car park. Since the tariffs are designed around the charge payable per parking session, this can be clarified further in the Parking Order to further minimise the likelihood of incorrect interpretation.
2.8 Debt registration fees have increased, and as such the relevant reference on the Parking Order must be updated.
2.9 A reference to a maximum charge for Film company dispensations and suspensions is not intended to exist and needs to be removed as it would permit interpretations that a Film company could hire a large car park for any length of time and a maximum charge would be applicable.
2.10 The Parking Order does not define the charge applicable for areas that are not marked bays during suspensions, thus enabling companies to use non-marked areas such as driving lanes or pedestrian walkways without a charge being liable for the land they would have exclusive use of.
2.11 The new Leisure Centre has a completely new car park layout, which requires an update to the map in the Parking Order.
2.12 The Staines-upon-Thames long and short stay tariffs were benchmarked, and mostly align or exceed the charges applied in comparable car parks in the region. Slight increases in some tariff points can be implemented where we are underpriced in the benchmark, but some tariff points we are overpriced so we should also consider a slight reduction on those (further details in Appendix 1).
2.13 In Appendix 1, a detailed analysis and overview can be consulted for the tariff issues highlighted above.
2.14 In Appendix 2 (Parking Order 2020), the proposed wording changes can be viewed in detail, with tracked changes.
2.15 In Appendix 2 (Schedules 2020), the proposed tariff and charges changes can be viewed in detail, with tracked changes.
3. Options analysis and proposal
3.1 Members are asked to approve one of the following 2 options:
(a) Approve all proposals contained within Appendix 4;
(b) Reject the proposals contained within Appendix 4 and continue with the current Parking Order and its associated issues.
4. Risk implications
4.1 Costs associated with Business Rates have seen a significant increase since the end of the pandemic measures, and overall Business Rates now represent £421k in yearly operational costs across all car parks. Other non-Business Rates operational costs amount to £799k (further details on Appendix 1).
4.2 The operational deficit of the Recreation Grounds tariffs with a nil charge tariff point are very high (£231k), and any measure that does not significantly increase the income the tariffs generate continues to have a significant negative budgetary impact.
4.3 If the amendments to the Leisure Centre map and the relevant Schedule entry are not updated, the new Leisure Centre car park will remain unenforceable.
5. Financial implications
5.1 Appendix 1 has a comprehensive analysis of the financial implications associated with the issues identified and proposed measures, including a detailed rationale for every financial figure presented in this report.
5.2 Through extensive analysis it was identified that the current Recreation Grounds tariff structure fails to mitigate the cost to operate it, with the overall operational deficit calculated to be £231k.
5.3 Business Rates for car parks would be significantly lower or non-existent if there wasn’t a chargeable tariff applicable to them, since the valuation is based by the VOA on the tariff practiced and their estimation on the income it should generate, as opposed to the actual income achieved.
5.4 The staffing costs that are part of the operational costs outlined in Appendix 1 cannot be reduced further since the approved business model by the COuncil for Parking Services already has the minimum deployable resource required to operate the service, hence any removal of a car park would not generate savings in staffing costs but it would release that resource to focus on car parks where their intervention would have a more significant impact on the income generated.
5.5 Due to the tariff increase overall under Amendment 2 in October 2024, additional proposed increases have limited positive impact on the income projected, which is estimated to be around £36k.
6. Legal comments
6.1 The Council has powers under the Road Traffic Regulations Act 1984 to provide off street parking places and may by an Order regulate the use of the said parking spaces.
6.2 The relevant procedure and requirements for making of the Order are contained within the Local Authorities’ Traffic Orders (Procedure) (England and Wales) Regulations 1996 (“the Regulations”), and the proposed Order must comply with the Regulations.
6.3 Legal Team will assist with the preparation of the Order and statutory notices as required.
Corporate implications
7. S151 Officer comments
7.1 The proposed amendments to the Parking Order are necessary to address a significant and ongoing operational deficit across several car parks, particularly those offering a nil-charge first tariff point. The current tariff structure at Recreation Grounds alone contributes to an estimated annual deficit of £231k. Although recent tariff increases have slightly improved income projections, the overall financial benefit remains limited, with an estimated net income increase of only £36k.
7.2 Additional financial pressures include an annual Business Rates liability of £421k, alongside increasing operational costs. The proposed changes, removal or revision of loss-making tariffs, updates to enable enforcement at the new Leisure Centre, and adjustments to reflect the introduction of new technologies such as ticketless systems are essential to improve the long-term financial sustainability of the parking service. Without these amendments, several sites will either remain unenforceable or continue to operate at a substantial deficit, with ongoing adverse impacts on the Council’s parking budget.
8. Monitoring Officer comments
8.1 The Monitoring Officer confirms that the relevant legal implications have been taken into account.
9. Procurement comments
9.1 There are no procurement implications in the amendments proposed.
10. Equality and Diversity
10.1 All Options contained within this Report do not remove or change existing facilities in a way that is likely to impact or be relevant to rights and obligations arising from Equality and Diversity legislation.
10.2 The additional payment method to be introduced in Elmsleigh Surface+MSCP has a positive impact in increasing accessibility to all customers by enabling payment through an app, without the need to interact with any terminal at entry or exit.
11. Sustainability/Climate Change Implications
11.1 The Options proposed to members in this report have been carefully considered to enable a more sustainable approach to the operation and management of the car parks. Some options reduce the reliance on the use of printed documents, as well as encouraging the use of cashless payment options where suitable and relevant.
12. Timetable for implementation
12.1 Report to Council for decision to make the Order (23/10/2025)
Publish notice of the making of the Order in the press and on social media (14/11/2025)
Order takes effect on 01/01/2026 (subject to the receipt of objections)
13. Contact
13.1 Bruno Barbosa – b.barbosa@spelthorne.gov.uk
Please submit any material questions to the Committee Chair and Officer Contact by two days in advance of the meeting.
Background papers:
https://www.spelthorne.gov.uk/article/19592/Parking-Order-2020
https://www.spelthorne.gov.uk/article/19593/Parking-Order-2020-List-of-Schedules
https://www.spelthorne.gov.uk/article/21955/Parking-Order-Amendment
Appendices:
Appendix 1 (Budgetary efficiency of regulated car parks)
Appendix 2 (Parking Order 2020)
Appendix 2 (Schedules 2020)
Appendix 3 (Eclipse Leisure Centre map amendment)
Appendix 4 (Proposals)