To consider the above report.

The Chairman agreed to hear both the Parking Provision report and the Broadway Car Park Report together as they were closely linked. Members unanimously agreed to discuss the reports together.

Russell O’Keefe, Strategic Director Corporate & Community Services explained that the report set out further work on the emerging parking plan for the Borough and Cabinet Regeneration Sub Committee considered the draft parking model and initial short term and longer term parking plans. Feasibility work had been carried out and discussions with stakeholders had taken place. The final proposals were subject to change with the final draft being presented to Full Council in November 2017 alongside the Broadway Car Park report. The parking plan met the demand and re-confirmed that parking needed to support the Borough’s residents’ needs. The report was based on commercial parking, not residential parking.

Councillor D. Evans stated a lot of work had been carried out by the Strategic Director Corporate & Community Services and the Head of community Protection and Enforcements’ team and the appendix was significant as it showed the start balance and end balance of parking spaces with a net gain of 427 overall. Temporary parking would be provided during the refurbishment of the Broadway Car Park and at the end of the exercise, the Broadway Car Park would gain more public parking spaces. He added that for the second report on the Broadway Car Park, the Council had been working on the redevelopment of the site and Appendix A included a feasibility study and Appendix C was the proposed development brief in Part II but, was summarised in Part I.

The Council was at the design stage one and would be moving to the second stage of the process to firm up the investment case which would go to Cabinet in November 2017. Detailed design would start shortly after that. The current designs were just indicative and not detailed or final designs. Councillor D. Evans added it was about providing the right sort of parking for that part of the town. At the end of the process, Maidenhead would have modern, state of the art parking that would come in stages as part of a long process. The car park is a major part of the regeneration of the area and it had to be done right with the right design and the right return on the investment.

The Chairman stated the proposed state of the art parking would have 1,400 spaces, including electric charging points, disabled spaces, parent and child spaces as it was important to plan for the future. The current car park was reaching the end of its lifespan. The Panel were not keen on keeping the car park as it was a case of just repairing the car park and continuing to use it in its current form. The redevelopment would increase capacity and provide a high quality regenerated car park; the proposed layout would improve flow and the new retail offer would attract visitors; the report was welcomed and he thanked officers for their hard work.

Councillor Sharpe queried page six of the report as paragraph 2.5 stated there was no need for additional car parks in the Ascot area. The Strategic Director Corporate & Community Services explained that it had been based on assessment of need and demand, the assessment had shown a better way to manage parking in that area already. Councillor Sharpe stated Sunninghill had a dire parking situation with very little parking and always in very high demand. Residents were crying out for additional parking, he felt the borough could not have a report saying there was no need for additional parking in the area when there were major problems with parking in the area. He added he could not accept the report saying there was no need for additional parking and the team needed to go back and look at parking properly. Section 2.5 of the report needed to be removed. The Chairman stated Councillor Sharpe had raised a valid point but, it was not possible to reject the whole report for that one reason. He understood it was a big issue in the South of the Borough and felt the Lead member should look into it. Councillor Grey agreed that it was a valid point but the report was looking at regeneration as a bigger picture for Maidenhead; he also had concerns for parking in his ward. Councillor D. Evans said the first step was to show Councillor Sharpe the work that had been carried out during the assessment of parking and then, if any further work was required, it could be incorporated into the report in November 2017 for Cabinet. Councillor Sharpe commented if the Borough was going to publish a report saying there was no need for additional parking then that needed to be addressed. Councillor D. Evans said he would need to look at it to see if the assessment had got it right and if not, it would be amended for the report to go to Cabinet in November 2017.

In response to queries on the access for vehicles leaving the car park, Councillor D. Evans acknowledged there had been problems with cars leaving the car park in the past. The Strategic Director Corporate & Community Services stated the car park was only at the first stage of design which was a concept at present. The car park was based on a figure eight arrangement which should make it easier to get to each floor much quicker and also exit with less queues. Councillor D. Evans explained that he had looked at the car park at the Oracle in Reading and the borough would use a similar principle with electronic signage to show vacant spaces on each floor. Shepherds Bush Westfield used sensor parking which the Council was keen to look into at the next stage of development. The car park would have the most up to date equipment and technology possible. Councillor Grey commented the spaces needed to be big enough for modern cars because if the spaces were not big enough. It would put visitors off. The Strategic Director Corporate & Community Services confirmed the car park was a nine minute walk to the Town Hall and that spaces would be wide enough for modern cars.

Councillor Hunt raised concerns about Council staff having to use a different car park further away from their place of work while the work was carried out. She stated in the mid-winter, when the weather was inclement it was a 25 minute walk and she felt that was excessive. The Strategic Director Corporate & Community Services said he walked 15 minutes to work, it was about personal choice. In his previous job there was no staff car park and he did not feel the walk from Reform Road car park to the Town Hall was excessive. Councillor Sharpe stated it would help get people used to the Council not providing their staff with parking and also promoted a fitter and healthier workplace. He used to work on a campus where the car park was deliberately at the other side of the site to encourage people to walk.

Councillor Lion requested the restructured Broadway Car Park to take into consideration pedestrians as the existing layout was very difficult with pedestrians crossing. The Strategic Director Corporate & Community Services confirmed that would be looked into.

Councillor Beer said on page 38 it showed the entrance was at 90 degree angles which he felt would cause problems. The Strategic Director Corporate & Community Services confirmed that the entrance was not at an angle but it was still at the discussion stage. There seemed to be differing views in the market over what was best. The Chairman suggested having the parking spaces at 45 degree angles so as to fit more vehicles in and also, provide more room for getting in and out of the spaces; he added that however many entrances there were into the car park, there should be the same amount of exits. Councillor Grey stated the project was at an early stage and was only getting agreement in principle for the next steps.

PARKING PROVISION

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That The Panel endorsed the recommendations.

Councillor Sharpe requested that the following comment be noted:

Councillor Sharpe felt that the dire parking situation in Sunninghill, where residents were in need of additional parking because of the high demand, meant that the report should not state that there was no need for additional parking in the area.

BROADWAY CAR PARK

The Panel unanimously endorsed the recommendations