Free Sunday parking in Teignbridge could end

Proposals suggest charging £1

But as part of the council’s draft budget proposals for 2020/21, a recommendation that a flat nominal charge for Sunday parking of £1 has been included within the fees and charges for car parks across the district.

The proposal, which has yet to be discussed by councillors, would see the nominal £1 charge imposed between 10am and 4pm in all car parks the council currently charge for on Monday to Saturday. This excludes the Multi-Storey car park in Newton Abbot, which will remain closed on Sundays.

It is one of a number of proposals that have been outlined in the draft Final Financial Plan to bridge a £315,000 deficit in the amount of cash Teignbridge District Council receives from Central Government, with higher business rates on the council’s car parks as well as a 4.9 per cent increase in the National Living Wage also hitting their coffers.

A Teignbridge District Council spokesman said: “The proposal, which is yet to be discussed by councillors, is for a nominal £1 charge on Sundays between 10am and 4pm in all car parks where we currently charge Monday to Saturday. This excludes the Multi-Storey car park in Newton Abbot, which will remain closed on Sundays.

“An annual review of fees and charges is part of our ongoing effort to keep Council Tax as low as possible and includes comparisons with neighbouring authorities.

“Teignbridge is the only council in our area that does not currently charge on a Sunday and the proposed £1 to park all day is lower than others in this area.

“Reviews of fees must be seen against a backdrop of consistent reductions in Government funding year-on-year, which puts pressure on all councils to raise revenue in other ways so we can continue delivering essential services and meet customer expectations.

“So far as the parking sector is concerned, we face having to pay higher Business Rates on our car parks and we also need to cover the £60,000 cost of repairing and replacing ticket machines.”

The report of Martin Flitcroft, Chief Finance Officer, says that a target extra income of £185,000 from last year’s base budget from car parking charges is budgeted for.

As well as the nominal £1 fee for Sunday parking, small increases in parking charges across the board are proposed, although some of the parking charges in town centre for periods of up to half an hour will be frozen, as is all day parking in the larger town car parks.

The proposed budget also includes an increase in council tax of £5, or 2.94 per cent, to £175.17, as well as funding to employ a climate change officer and enhanced planning enforcement.

Draft proposals still include reducing the councillors’ community fund to £1,000 each, but a reversal on initial plans to scrap rural aid entirely is also put forward.

The £40,000 Rural Aid fund is used for the enhancement of community life and is intended to support projects which improve access to services, develop and refurbish local community facilities and amenities, address rural sustainability issues, improve the health and wellbeing of the local community, meet the needs of minority and vulnerable groups and enhance strong local community support and involvement

That initially was to be completed scrapped, but the revised proposals involve reducing rural aid to £26,000, with new rules that parishes with a precept of £20,000 or less only can apply, that the maximum grant awarded be £2,000 per annum and the grant be awarded primarily for tangible items only, such as new equipment, or building repair and refurbishment.

Mr Flitcroft’s report adds: “These budget proposals show how Teignbridge can start to prepare for the grant reductions and anticipated funding regime by continuing to make savings and generate income. The revenue budget is partly funded over the medium term by savings found, additional income and use of earmarked reserves built up to cover anticipated future reductions in funding.

“However significant work is still required to identify the significant budget gap in 2022/23 as just under £1.5 million per annum and thereafter together with further savings to be found to meet aspirations to bolster the capital programme in future years with increasing contributions to capital from revenue of around £0.8 million per annum initially.”

Capital investment proposals in infrastructure as part of the budget include £1.3m towards the new railway station at Marsh Barton, provision for improvements to the A382, provision for Education in SW Exeter and the wider Teignbridge area, £1.2 million over 3 years towards further green spaces, sports and leisure provision of £5.4 million over 3 years including Decoy and the Den play area refurbishments and improvements to Bakers Park, and £1m on cycle provision.

The budget proposals will be discussed by the overview and scrutiny committee on Friday, before going to the executive on Monday, February 10. They will recommend the budget to full council, who will meet on Monday, February 24.