Agenda and minutes

 Apologies were received from Chris Boden, Susan Pearson (Deputy Chairman) and Stephen Quilter. 

Members noted that the Deputy Chairman had broken her arm following a recent fall and wished her a speedy recovery.

The Town Clerk advised that, of those Members who had applied for dispensations, only Mr Mark Bostock and  Mr William Pimlott had been granted dispensations to speak but not to vote on the Car Park Charges and Storage Report (at item 3 on this agenda).  

The Chairman had agreed that those Members, who had not been granted dispensations, could email their comments to BRC Members and they had also been tabled.  Members expressed their frustration at being refused dispensations to speak at this Special Meeting of the BRC, particularly as they had been granted for previous meetings.  NB.  This was discussed further under ‘Items of Urgent Business’ later on the agenda. 

Report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

Members considered a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services in respect of a charging policy for car parking and storage.  At the meeting of the BRC on 4 June 2018, Members agreed that the Car Park Charges Working Party should convene a further meeting to consider the representations from Members, residents and officers.  The Working Party met on 11^th June 2018 and the report before Members today comprised an overview of its considerations and recommendations.

Following the discussion and questions, the Chairman advised that many of the points raised had been addressed at the Working Party.  Furthermore,  three of the recommendations in the report; covering an Equalities Impact Assessment, short-term parking by visitors, tradesmen and ‘others’, free parking periods and the provision of concierge and related services had been referred to the Working Party for further consideration, before coming back to the BRC for decision. 

The following points were also noted. 

1. The CPI rate had changed since the report was first drafted but it was not relevant to this decision.

2. There was a general consensus that there should be no cross subsidy.

3. The request for a charging policy for all land on the Barbican Estate was referred to officers.

4. A resident member stressed the difficulties experienced by visiting tradesmen, who were not able to park on the street or on driveways.  However, it was noted that, if tradesmen were able to park on the street, they would need to pay parking fees.   Members agreed that this matter required further consideration to ensure a fair policy, which was neither too complex nor expensive to administer.  It was also suggested that, as all residents had visiting tradesmen, it might be fair to transfer this to service charges. The height restriction on garages was also an issue, as  this

There were no questions.

Resident Members of the BRC, who had not been granted dispensations, expressed their disappointment at having been granted them for previous BRC meetings.  Furthermore, they had not been given an explanation as to why they had been refused this time.  Whilst accepting that they might not be able to vote, resident and non-resident Members agreed that the Cripplegate and Aldersgate Ward Members should be allowed to represent the views of their constituents. Members were reminded that all meetings of the Standards and Dispensations Sub Committees were held in public and encouraged to attend if their dispensations were being heard. 

The Chairman, also a Member of the Standards Committee, advised that Co-opted Standards Committee Members had raised this issue and the Standards Committee had taken a Resolution to Policy and Resources Committee in respect of the BRC’s governance arrangements.  The matter was also the subject of a question to the Court of Common Council later today.

Members noted that the BRC was carrying 5 non-resident vacancies, which compounded its’ governance issues.  In the event of today’s Court question not answering the above points, it was Proposed by Jeremy Mayhew, Seconded by David Bradshaw and RESOLVED, that:

The Standards Committee be asked to justify why Members of the BRC had been refused dispensations to speak at today’s meeting, given that they had been granted for previous meetings.