Agenda item

Recommendations from the Education & Children’s Services Scrutiny Panel:

• Raising Achievement Strategy & Policy
• Protocol for Working with Academies and Free Schools

Recommendations from the Overview & Scrutiny Committee:

• Town Centre Car Parking Task & Finish Group

Recommendations from the Education & Children’s Services Scrutiny Panel:

·  That the SBC Raising Pupil Achievement Strategy and Policy, as at Appendices A and B to the report, be adopted.

·  That the SBC Protocol for working with Academies and Free Schools, as at Appendix C to the report, be adopted.

Recommendations from the Overview & Scrutiny Committee - Town Centre Car Parking Task & Finish Group:

(a)  That recommendations 4 and 8 be approved, namely: 

4.  That land adoption be used to increase SBC’s control of parking (e.g. Kittiwake House, the area in Mill Street outside Foundry Court).

8.  That the size of loading and unloading bays be reviewed to facilitate their use by larger vehicles.

(b)  That it be noted that recommendations 1 and 5 would be taken forward as part of the review of the Local Plan.

1.  That the current policy of zero parking be reviewed, with a future ratio to be specified subject to further research by Slough Borough Council (SBC) and justification.

5.  That the current limit of 5,000 parking spaces be reviewed, using the justification for at the time of its creation and variations in the situation since this time (e.g. parking at Tesco’s, Crossrail) to reappraise the figure.

(c)  That officers responses and actions detailed in the report on recommendations 2, 3 and 7 be noted, namely:

2.  That the potential hire of, or use of parking permits with time restrictions in neighbouring parking facilities (e.g. Tesco car park) be researched;

3.  That the time restrictions on areas with single yellow lines be reduced to 6pm in suitable areas (subject to research by SBC); and

7.  That the potential expansion of car parking facilities at Slough railway station be investigated.

(d)  That no further immediate action be taken in relation to Recommendations 6 and 9, namely:

6.  That the parking at Slough railway station be removed from SBC’s allocation of parking spaces.

9.  That further research be conducted into the continuation of free parking after 3pm, or cheaper parking through the use of a ‘Slough Card’, with a view to a potential increase in high street trade.

The Cabinet considered a number of recommendations from the Education & Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee and from the Overview & Scrutiny Committee Task & Finish Group on Town Centre Car Parking.

References from Education & Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee

A report was received on the Council’s strategy and policy for raising pupil achievement and the protocol for working with academies and free schools.  Commissioners noted that the strategy, policy and protocol had been considered in detail and endorsed by the Scrutiny Panel and the Cabinet accepted their recommendation to adopt these documents as at appendices A, B and C of the report.

References from the O&S Task & Finish Group on Town Centre Car Parking

The Cabinet considered the report from the Task & Finish Group on Town Centre Car Parking and the comments and proposed actions from officers in relation to the nine recommendations it had made.  Commissioners welcomed the work that the Task & Finish Group had done on these matters and recognised the importance of ensuring car parking policy and practice supporting the Five Year Plan outcome of a thriving town centre.  The covering report set out which recommendations were proposed to be approved, noted or taken forward as part of the review of the Local Plan.  Two recommendations from the Task & Finish Group were not proposed to be taken forward, namely a review of the “Free from 3pm” parking trial on the basis this initiative had already been trialled and evaluated.

There was considerable discussion about current limit of 5,000 parking spaces in the town centre, and the inclusion of parking at Slough railway station in this allocation.  The Chair of the Task & Finish Group, Councillor Plenty, addressed the Cabinet under Rule 30 on this matter and explained the reasons the Group had recommended that station parking be removed from the allocation.  These were to ensure future parking need would not be hampered by the limit and any increased parking demand arising from Crossrail/WRLtH would not negatively impact of the optimum spaces required for core town centre use.  Officers responded by setting out the rationale for the limit to control the number of temporary car parks and noted that there was significant unused capacity in several car parks.

At the conclusion of the discussion, the Cabinet noted that the limit would be reviewed as part of the review of the Local Plan.  Commissioners asked that this review take forward the thrust of the Task & Finish Group’s recommendations to ensure the limit was sufficient to meet appropriate demand for town centre parking and considering the inclusion within this limit of car parks such as the railway station which served to meet wider parking need.  The Cabinet also agreed that the work undertaken to improve the quality of town centre car parks continue to be supported and further measures to promote quality car parks, including maximising the potential of the electronic signs and variable message boards.

Resolved –

Recommendations from the Education & Children’s Services Scrutiny Panel:

·  That the SBC Raising Pupil Achievement Strategy and Policy, as at Appendices A and B to the report, be adopted.

·  That the SBC Protocol for working with Academies and Free Schools, as at Appendix C to the report, be adopted.

Recommendations from the Overview & Scrutiny Committee - Town Centre Car Parking Task & Finish Group:

(a)  That recommendations 4 and 8 be approved, namely: 

4.  That land adoption be used to increase SBC’s control of parking (e.g. Kittiwake House, the area in Mill Street outside Foundry Court).

8.  That the size of loading and unloading bays be reviewed to facilitate their use by larger vehicles.

(b)  That it be noted that recommendations 1 and 5 would be taken forward as part of the review of the Local Plan.

1.  That the current policy of zero parking be reviewed, with a future ratio to be specified subject to further research by Slough Borough Council (SBC) and justification.

5.  That the current limit of 5,000 parking spaces be reviewed, using the justification for at the time of its creation and variations in the situation since this time (e.g. parking at Tesco’s, Crossrail) to reappraise the figure.

(c)  That officers responses and actions detailed in the report on recommendations 2, 3 and 7 be noted, namely:

2.  That the potential hire of, or use of parking permits with time restrictions in neighbouring parking facilities (e.g. Tesco car park) be researched;

3.  That the time restrictions on areas with single yellow lines be reduced to 6pm in suitable areas (subject to research by SBC); and

7.  That the potential expansion of car parking facilities at Slough railway station be investigated.

(d)  That no further immediate action be taken in relation to Recommendations 6 and 9, namely:

6.  That the parking at Slough railway station be removed from SBC’s allocation of parking spaces.

9.  That further research be conducted into the continuation of free parking after 3pm, or cheaper parking through the use of a ‘Slough Card’, with a view to a potential increase in high street trade.