Agenda and minutes

Members are invited to disclose any interest in any of the items on the agenda at this point of the meeting.

Members may still disclose any interest in an item at any time prior to the consideration of the matter.

There were no disclosures of interest.

The report before members detailed the call-in of an Executive Decision relating to Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) Banding.

A requisition signed by Councillors Ray Morgon and Clarence Barrett had called-in the Executive Decision 18/587 dated 29 September 2018.

The reasons for the call-in were as follows:

1. There was a lack of detail in the different types of contravention and the penalty charges that they attract.

2. There was a lack of data to compare Havering’s proposed charges with those that exist in other outer London Boroughs.

3. There was a lack of evidence to demonstrate that higher charges would improve road safety, reduce traffic, illegal parking or better protection of kerb space for residents, particularly given the high level of penalty charge notices that were cancelled.

Members were addressed by the Cabinet Member for Environment who explained the rationale for the decision taken.

During the debate Members asked for and received several points of clarification which were provided by the Council’s highways officers.

Currently PCN charges are set at 2 rates, higher (band A) and lower (band B).

Currently only Romford was in Band A so the same offences are charged at a higher rate than the rest of the borough. Due to increases in parking pressure throughout the borough, a review of the banding levels was warranted to discourage drivers from parking illegally, better protecting kerb space for local residents, as well as increasing road safety and reducing traffic in the borough.

Due to the amount of Housing development in the borough, attractive commuter hubs and shopping areas, the borough as a whole had shown an increase in parking demand. This was evidenced with the increase in PCNs issued across the borough. Areas outside of Romford were showing more of the characteristic of Band A areas.

In response to a question relating to grading traffic contraventions on their seriousness Members were advised that there needed to be a more consistent approach boroughwide and that Public Space Protection Orders were in place in the most serious hotspots across the borough.

Members raised some concerns that the proposals were out of step with surrounding boroughs but it was felt by officers that the proposals would lead to greater compliance throughout the borough and that the current arrangements penalised some residents depending on the area in which they resided.

Members noted that all Moving Traffic Contraventions were charged at the higher banding.

Officers advised that the London Borough of Enfield had recently agreed to charge all PCNs at the higher band and that benchmarking information would be available in the future.

Several Members advised that the call-in had been necessary as the report lacked information particularly around income and PCNs issued previously.

The vote for the decision as to whether to uphold or dismiss the call-in was carried by 9 votes to 7.

Councillors Darvill, Summers, Williamson, Ford, Barrett, Morgon and O’Sullivan voted to uphold the call-in.

Councillors Wise, Smith, Perry, Patel, Mylod, Misir, Crowder, Holt and Wallace voted to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.