Parking consultation Q&A

This Spring we carried out a consultation so you could have your say on parking.

The survey is now closed, and we’ve shared the results below.

Parking and garages

Parking consultation Q&A

‘What has precipitated this proposed change? Is the current parking enforcement company not renewing their agreement with Poplar HARCA? If so, when is it due to come to an end?’

Here are the reasons for our proposed changes:

Permit fees no longer cover the cost of the service
The increased vandalism of signs means contractors can’t enforce the rules
Our staff receive a high level of abuse relating to parking
We can’t meet increased expectations from permit holders, such as offering a 24/7 service, providing an immediate response and towing/clamping.
We’ve had difficulties securing a contractor

Government is proposing parking rule changes that will make enforcement more difficult. These include:

new signage
cost of chasing debt can’t be recharged
no discount for paying tickets early
compulsory 10-minute grace period
lower limit on fines

We’ve extended our current contract by 3 months while we carry out wider consultation with residents.

‘How much does Poplar HARCA currently pay to the enforcement company?’

We don’t currently pay contractors, as they earn income from ticket fees. But damaged signs, unpaid permit fees, and ignored court fees make it difficult for them to enforce the rules, so they would have to start charging for the service.

If Government changes do happen, it will be even harder for the contractor, and we’ll have to pay more for the service.

‘How many quotes has Poplar HARCA received from other parking enforcement companies and what are they?’

Currently we haven’t got any quotes.

If option 3 is chosen, we’ll do a bidding process. If we find a contractor, we’ll be able to share more on the actual charges, which may be higher or lower than estimated.

‘How many rented/rentable parking bays does Poplar HARCA have?’

We have 3,000 bays, with around 2,400 that can be rented. At any one time between 1,400 and 1,700 are let.

‘Can Poplar HARCA confidently confirm that it is receiving the correct revenue from all rented spaces? i.e., is everyone paying for spaces that they have rented?’

On average, the total for weekly charges for parking bays that aren’t paid is 5%.

‘With respect to the “new” Leopold Estate development (St Pauls Square), points 8 and 22 of the Conditions and Reasons of the SCHEDULE within the S106 Agreement stipulate parking requirements ‘to ensure the permanent retention of parking spaces for the occupiers and users of this development in accordance with policy T16 of the Council’s Unitary Development Plan 1998 and policy DEV19 and Planning Standard 3: Parking of the Council’s interim Planning Guidance (2007)’. How can Poplar HARCA ensure this condition continues to be met if parking is open to anyone as per option 1 and in the absence of enforcement as per option 2?’

We aren’t planning to remove any of these bays, change their use or who they’re allocated to.

‘For options 1 and 2 to be viable, Poplar HARCA’s ability to pursue ASB effectively is critical. The best indicator of this is the period of no enforcement in 2020/21. For this period: (a) ‘How many parking violations were reported to Poplar HARCA and how many of these were converted into prosecutions/rulings in Poplar HARCA’s favour?’(b) ‘What was the cost of getting these verdicts?’

As we were in lockdown, it’s difficult to use those years as an example. Courts were shut for long periods, staff weren’t on site and residents didn’t go out as much. This has made our estimates lower than usual, but for transparency, we haven’t changed them or used weighted averages.

(a) We received 29 formal complaints about parking violations. We served 20 legal notices seeking possession and held 4 injunctions.
(b) Injunctive proceedings cost approximately £2,750 each. Defended proceedings can cost up to £10,000. These costs doesn’t include staff time.

‘How many people within Poplar HARCA currently work on parking?’

We don’t have a designated team or role for parking. Parking is managed by our Housing, Community Safety and Rents teams. Work related to parking is also carried out by our Complaints, Finance, IT and Communications teams.

‘How is the bay cost (£6.42 and £15.71 respectively) calculated? Please provide a detailed breakdown rather than generic references to ‘the increasing cost of providing a service’

The following annual costings are approximations based on averages for the past 3 years:

		Volume (per year)	Approx. cost (per task)	Total cost
Contacts	Written and phone enquiries, complaints, appeals, Cllr and MP enquiries, applications, permit changes, vehicle changes, contact with DVLA etc.	16,000	£2.75	£44,000
Legal	Based on number of tickets issued that would require injunctive proceedings	100	£2,750	£275,000
Locking posts	To protect designated parking bays for residents with disabilities	300	£450	£135,000
Lining	Ensuring bays are properly marked	n/a	n/a	£22,000
Arrears	Provision for, and chasing of, debt	150	£122	£18,300
Average annual total cost:				£494,300

‘How many employees within Poplar HARCA will be dedicated to parking?’

When we know which option has been chosen by residents, we’ll decide how to move forward. There may be a dedicated team, but we’ve not made a decision yet.

‘Why can’t signage be placed higher up on poles/why can’t the graffiti be removed?’

We need to comply with the rules so enforcement can be carried out. Although we replace signs, they quickly become vandalised again.

‘When is Poplar HARCA looking to finalise a decision regarding parking? i.e., is there a time constraint due to the current enforcement company stepping away for example?’

The survey will close on 30 April, and we’ll let residents know their chosen choice by mid-May.

If either option 1 or 2 is chosen, we’re aiming for these to be in place by 1 June.

If option 3 is chosen, it’ll take longer to put into action as we’ll need to go through the process of finding a contractor and getting them set up. With this in mind, we expect enforcement would begin around October.