Car Parking Companies

Debate between Baroness Taylor of Stevenage and Baroness McIntosh of Pickering
Tuesday 4th February 2025

(3 weeks ago)

Lords Chamber
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Baroness Taylor of Stevenage Portrait Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)
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I think many local authorities would say that the fees and charges that they charge for parking help with the enormous gap in funding that they have faced in the last 14 years, and that is one of the reasons why they do it. It is for the voters of the local areas to decide whether or not the parking policies in their area are sound; local people can challenge parking policies if they wish to.

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering Portrait Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con)
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Does the Minister share my concern about the level of hospital parking charges, which seem to be completely unregulated? Will she look at this at the earliest opportunity?

Baroness Taylor of Stevenage Portrait Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)
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I am sorry: I missed the start of the noble Baroness’s question.

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering Portrait Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con)
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Will the noble Baroness look at the astronomically high level of hospital parking charges, which seem to go completely unregulated?

Baroness Taylor of Stevenage Portrait Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)
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Once again, I understand the frustrations about this. It is for hospital trusts to decide how they manage their own parking arrangements, and people can challenge that. However, I appreciate that there are significant issues in that respect. I am sorry to keep repeating it, but if the noble Baroness wishes to put in a submission to the consultation, I would be grateful to hear from her.

Planning Committees: Reform

Debate between Baroness Taylor of Stevenage and Baroness McIntosh of Pickering
Thursday 12th December 2024

(2 months, 1 week ago)

Lords Chamber
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Baroness Taylor of Stevenage Portrait Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)
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The noble Lord is quite right to pick up this point. It is the intention that, where applications are in conformity with the local plan, a speedy decision should be taken. The whole point of these reforms is intended to make that much easier, without removing the ability of local councillors and communities to make their views known on it. This is a working paper for discussion with the sector, and we hope that the sector will put its views forward. The intention is to speed up the process, not to have planning applications stuck in the system.

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering Portrait Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con)
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My Lords, I had the honour to chair the Select Committee on the review of the Licensing Act 2003. One of our most powerful conclusions was that planning and licensing committees should be merged, and that there should be consistent and frequent training of planning and licensing officers before they take their place on these committees. Is that something that the Government might look favourably on introducing? It would increase the effectiveness of the local voice and the way in which planning and licensing committees operate.

Baroness Taylor of Stevenage Portrait Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)
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The noble Baroness is absolutely right. I must admit that, at my local authority, you had to have training before you went on the planning committee, and I had assumed that that was the case everywhere. It is not. Part of the consultation on the working paper is the introduction of mandatory training. We are considering a wide range of implementation options, and we look forward to working with stakeholders. There are great examples of training around the country. However, it is inconsistent—more inconsistent than I had realised—and we need to find out where the best practice is so that we can work nationally on that issue. I totally agree with her point that the public will have more confidence if they know that people have had training.

Spending Commitments to Local Councils

Debate between Baroness Taylor of Stevenage and Baroness McIntosh of Pickering
Monday 22nd July 2024

(7 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Baroness McIntosh of Pickering Portrait Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con)
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My Lords, I congratulate the noble Baroness most warmly on her new position. I remind her that she spoke from these Benches less than two months ago saying that the existing spending commitments for local councils on drainage authorities were insufficient. Does she still hold that view?

Baroness Taylor of Stevenage Portrait Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)
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My Lords, we all know that for too long funding and support for local leaders has been fragmented and inconsistent, and the noble Baroness rightly raises the issue of those authorities that have drainage levies imposed on them. We will continue to look at that issue. I did raise it and indeed I have had correspondence since I took up this new role, so we will continue to look at that.