That this Council:-
(a) recalls motions from the main opposition group in December 2011 and December 2012, calling on the Administration to support local businesses by repeating the previous Administration’s Free Christmas Parking scheme;
(b) notes that other cities and towns, including neighbouring Rotherham, continue to offer free parking schemes in the run up to Christmas;
(c) reminds Members that proposals in the main opposition group’s budget amendment would have provided funding for the provision of free Christmas parking;
(d) regrets that instead of supporting local traders, this anti-business, anti-car Administration have hiked many city-centre parking charges; and
(e) calls upon the Administration to reconsider its Christmas policy to re-introduce free Christmas parking in the city and district centres.
Minutes:
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Car Parking Initiatives |
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It was moved by Councillor Diana Stimely, seconded by Councillor Penny Baker, that this Council:- |
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(a) recalls motions from the main opposition group in December 2011 and December 2012, calling on the Administration to support local businesses by repeating the previous Administration’s Free Christmas Parking scheme;
(b) notes that other cities and towns, including neighbouring Rotherham, continue to offer free parking schemes in the run up to Christmas;
(c) reminds Members that proposals in the main opposition group’s budget amendment would have provided funding for the provision of free Christmas parking;
(d) regrets that instead of supporting local traders, this anti-business, anti-car Administration have hiked many city-centre parking charges; and
(e) calls upon the Administration to reconsider its Christmas policy to re-introduce free Christmas parking in the city and district centres. |
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Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Ian Auckland, seconded by Councillor David Baker, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the deletion of paragraph (e) and the addition of new paragraphs (e) and (f) as follows:- |
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(e) welcomes the Administration’s decision to re-introduce free Christmas parking and accepts this as an admission of the failure of their parking policies; and |
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(f) urges the Administration to now undertake a full review of city-centre parking, including recent hikes, which were branded ‘disgraceful’ and ‘killing’ by local businesses. |
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On being put to the vote, the amendment was negatived. |
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(Note: Councillors Jillian Creasy and Robert Murphy voted for paragraph (f) and against paragraph (e) of the above amendment and asked for this to be recorded.) |
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It was then moved by Councillor Leigh Bramall, seconded by Councillor Neale Gibson, as amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the deletion of all the words after the words “That this Council” and the substitution of the following words therefor:- |
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(a) welcomes the current Administration’s announcement last week of a ‘Free from Three’ parking scheme in the run up to Christmas to provide free parking from 3pm on the Wednesdays in December up to Christmas Day, for on-street and off street parking in the city centre; |
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(b) further welcomes the announcement of a first ever trial of a Parking Payback scheme in Broomhill, developed with Broomhill traders, to launch in December; |
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(c) notes that the current Administration has also reduced most off-street Council car park fees by up to 50% and has reduced off-prime on-street fees, compared to those levied by the previous Administration; |
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(d) further notes that the previous Administration increased parking fees in all but one year of their term, and used Government funding that the Coalition has now cut to fund free Christmas parking schemes; and |
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(e) therefore welcomes the current Administration’s commitments to be business friendly and focus on jobs, and believes the new parking initiatives recently announced, along with the successful Summer Saturdays programme of activities in the city centre between July and September, demonstrate real action from the Council in the face of unprecedented cuts from the Coalition Government. |
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On being put to the vote, the amendment was carried. |
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(Note Councillors Robert Murphy and Jillian Creasy voted for paragraph (b), against paragraphs (a) and (e) and abstained on paragraphs (c) and (d) of the above amendment, and asked for this to be recorded.) |
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The original Motion, as amended, was then put as a Substantive Motion in the following form and carried:- |
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RESOLVED: That this Council:- |
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(a) welcomes the current Administration’s announcement last week of a ‘Free from Three’ parking scheme in the run up to Christmas to provide free parking from 3pm on the Wednesdays in December up to Christmas Day, for on-street and off street parking in the city centre; |
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(b) further welcomes the announcement of a first ever trial of a Parking Payback scheme in Broomhill, developed with Broomhill traders, to launch in December; |
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(c) notes that the current Administration has also reduced most off-street Council car park fees by up to 50% and has reduced off-prime on-street fees, compared to those levied by the previous Administration; |
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(d) further notes that the previous Administration increased parking fees in all but one year of their term, and used Government funding that the Coalition has now cut to fund free Christmas parking schemes; and |
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(e) therefore welcomes the current Administration’s commitments to be business friendly and focus on jobs, and believes the new parking initiatives recently announced, along with the successful Summer Saturdays programme of activities in the city centre between July and September, demonstrate real action from the Council in the face of unprecedented cuts from the Coalition Government. |
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(Note 1. Councillors Simon Clement-Jones, Shaffaq Mohammed, Rob Frost, Sylvia Anginotti, Colin Ross, Joe Otten, Penny Baker, Diana Stimely, Roger Davison, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Denise Reaney, Ian Auckland, Anders Hanson, Katie Condliffe, David Baker and Trevor Bagshaw voted for paragraphs (a) and (b) and against paragraphs (c) to (e) of the Substantive Motion and asked for this to be recorded.
2. Councillors Robert Murphy and Jillian Creasy voted for paragraph (b), against paragraphs (a) and (e) and abstained on paragraphs (c) and (d) of the Substantive Motion, and asked for this to be recorded.) |