The Petition of residents of Scunthorpe and Ashby,
Declares that the Petitioners support the call for shoppers, retailers and businesses across North Lincolnshire to be treated equally and fairly.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to provide 2 hours free car parking across all car parks in Scunthorpe and Ashby.
And the Petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Nic Dakin, Official Report, 12 November 2012; Vol. 553, c. 145 .]
[P001130]
Observations from the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government:
Although Central Government has a role in parking legislation and policy, local councils are ultimately responsible for how parking is managed in their areas. Councils have a key role in promoting economic development, supporting local economic growth and local jobs. Making sure that car parking charges are reasonable is an important and practical way in which councils can help support their local high streets and wider local economy; the National Planning Policy Framework asks local councils to improve the quality of parking in town centres.
In January 2011 we removed the previous Administration’s requirement for maximum levels of parking provision associated with new development which had limited the growth of town centres. We changed parking policy from one which inhibited competition between council areas to one that said parking charges should not undermine the vitality of town centres. We withdrew guidance that encouraged councils to set parking fees to discourage the use of cars and set out clearly in planning policy that parking enforcement should be proportionate.
The National Planning Policy Framework in general sets a far more positive approach to enabling sustainable development through the planning system, including making clear that local councils should plan proactively to meet the development needs of business. It requires that new town centre uses are guided towards existing town centres out of preference and that in exercising their planning functions local councils should work closely with the business community to understand their changing needs and identify and address barriers to investment.
As pledged in our response to the Mary Portas Review, we are also taking steps to increase local transparency and accountability on the setting of municipal parking policies. Accordingly, a revised version of the “Code of Recommended Practice for Local Authorities on Data Transparency”, published on 25 October, proposes that local authorities should routinely publish in an open format: revenue from off-street parking charges; revenue from on-street parking charges; the number of off-street parking places; the number of on-street parking places; the revenue from parking fines; and the number of free parking spaces available.