Operational aspects in the provision of off-street Pay and Display car parking throughout the Borough and an input to strategy related to this service, including:
• guidance and enforcement
• cash collection and counting
• trading concessions
• participation and linking with other operators and organisations
The procurement and provision of leased cars and vans
• providing operational and safety related guidance
• vehicle tracking
Overseeing the Beadnell Boat Launch facility provided by a third party operator
• participation and linking with operational beach and sea safety organisations
Corporate Policy
How Policy Implemented
Equality & Diversity
• This service unit will carry out the timetabled Equality Impact Assessments as detailed in the Councils Inclusive Equalities Scheme, and where necessary we will assist other Service Units with their Equality Impact Assessments.
There are no Planned Equality Impact Assessments for 2008/09 in this unit.
• This service unit will engage with equality self-assessment, scrutiny and audit on our service delivery.
• Staff within the unit will comply with Council policy for responding to harassment on the grounds of race, disability and gender.
• The service unit will engage in consultation with designated community, staff and stakeholder groups on its equality impact and needs/requirements assessment and its service delivery. Consultation planned includes annual meetings with town centre representative groups and input from Berwick’s Future masterplan exercise.
• In any partnership arrangements that this service unit enters into, we will seek to ensure that the equality policy and objectives are incorporated.
• Where necessary, the service unit will establish planning groups for monitoring and information systems.
• Staff in the service unit will be encouraged to participate in equality and diversity training opportunities offered by the Council.
Data Quality
Car Park revenue is collected, counted and cashed
Excess Charges are issued to non-compliant users of off-street car parks.
The information is checked and validated then held on databases. This is undertaken in compliance with audited procedures which provides for trustworthy records.
Service Policy
How Policy Implemented
Provision of off street car parking
The Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 permits the Council to provide off street parking through The Berwick-upon-Tweed (Off-Street Parking Places) Order 1993 – as amended. There are procedures in place to ensure everyone is treated equally in the opportunity to use the facilities and from enforcement.
To provide a boat launch facility at Beadnell bay
The Council has a five year agreement with a third party operator to provide this service.
Leased vehicle procurement
Suppliers tender for the provision of vehicles to provide best value.
Service Partner Providers
How Partner Supports Service Delivery
Northumberland County Council
– on street parking
NCC provide on street pay and display parking and residential parking schemes. BBC is contracted to undertake regular machine servicing and cash collections/counting. The income offsets the provision of counting facilities and van collections
Newcastle City Council
Hosts vehicle tracking
Richard Patterson
Operator of Beadnell Boat Launch Facility, working with this Council and AONB on access for water based activities.
IT Systems
How IT System Supports Service Delivery
Internal Software
• revenue data processing
• appeals –backroom processing
Manually input data used to provide revenue comparisons
records ECs issued, process appeals and relevant correspondence, reminder correspondence and revenue statistics
Databases for leased vehicle registers
current user details, P11D information, etc
Achievements: Previous Year & Current Year (to date)
Measure or Milestone
Reference
Target 2006/7
Actual 2006/7
Target 2007/8
Forecast2007/8
Review annual season car park permit charges and conditions of use
Implementation 1/4/07
300% price increase
Commence replacement plan for worn out/obsolete car park ticket machines
Transfer of Beadnell Bay Boat Launch to third party operator
by 18/5/07
site operational
18/6/07
Champion web based vehicle tracking trial
by 31/5/07
complete trial
2 car park vans by 30/9/07
Success
How Achieved
Lessons Learnt
Boat Launch being provided by a third party operator.
Operator selected and appointed to timescale, but re-opening delayed by legalities for transfer of access.
It is possible to co-ordinate internal resources but external inputs may not prioritise their share of work.
Update Inca tracking to web based option
Utilising Newcastle City Council as provider for joint trials
Need to identify costs/benefits throughout Council and have Manager support
Challenge
How Resolved
Outcome
Working with AONB to undertake the transfer by the agreed deadline
External work to agree access with Crown Estates Comm.
Adverts placed, create our requirements, applicants interviewed and appointed.
Pressure to complete by Bor. Solicitor
Site operational to the public on 18th June 2007
Firewall issues with NCC to overcome
ongoing with NCC
Software trials successful. Apply to both car park vans. Ongoing discussions with use in refuse vehicles, housing and maintenance vans
Replacement of obsolete ticket machines – alternative scheme
May be best undertaken in two tranches to eliminate wasteful ticket resources
Seek to ring fence surplus car park revenue for this purpose.
Financial Resources to Deliver Services
Note: This section of the report will be based on information contained in the Budget Book for the current year, in this case 2007/08. The original budget figures for the current financial year will be used as the base line figure for the calculation of cashable and efficiency gains.
Cost Centre
106
Description
Off Street car parking
Expense
£
Description of Main Activity & Cost
Employees
61000
off street car park attendants
Employees Support
12870
transport, communications, uniforms,etc
Support Services
44760
Service Management
42240
Running Costs
187940
Maintenance, utilities, rates, rents, misc, bank
Capital Charges
121160
Gross Expenditure
469970
Direct Income - Grants
Direct Income – Fees/Charges
1011250
machine revenue, trading rights, Excess Charges, Season permits
Recharge Income
Net Expenditure
1011250
Cost Centre
107
Description
On Street parking
Expense
£
Description of Main Activity & Cost
Employees
8520
maintenance of on street parking for NCC
Employees Support
4500
transport, communications, uniforms,etc
Support Services
5270
Service Management
9670
Running Costs
9370
rates, maintenance, print
Capital Charges
Gross Expenditure
Direct Income - Grants
Describe income sources
Direct Income – Fees/Charges
Describe income sources
Recharge Income
39990
NCC
Net Expenditure
Cost Centre
012
Description
Beaches and Foreshores
Expense
£
Description of Main Activity & Cost
Employees
Employees Support
Support Services
Service Management
Running Costs
690
Beach seaside award scheme – membership, etc
Capital Charges
Gross Expenditure
Direct Income - Grants
Direct Income – Fees/Charges
Recharge Income
Net Expenditure
Capital Works
Name
Budget
Current Position
n/a
Value for Money Assessment
Efficiency Measure
BBC
Local
National
annual revenue per car park space
£448
n/a
n/a
net surplus per car park space
£250
n/a
n/a
excess charges cancelled per space
0.070
n/a
n/a
Efficiency Measure
Reason for Difference to Local / National Trend
There is no comparable information currently indentified
Please complete the three following tables (if applicable) indicating how partnership working, IT systems or adherence to / achievement of quality standards have contributed to value for money.
Service Partner Providers
How Partner Supports Service VFM
Newcastle City Council
Their web based vehicle tracking application does not restrict the access to licensed software on specific computers/locations. Their service monitors vehicles 24 hrs. The service is cost effective and provides savings compared to the original APD/Consillium offer.
Northumberland County Council
Undertaking machine maintenance and cash counting allows the costs of transport and counting machines to be shared and enhance utilisation of these resources
IT Systems
How IT System Supports VFM
Car Park Back Room Software – in house package based on MS Access
Automates the reminder processes for Excess Charges and provides accurate management information for Local PIs.
Can be improved further by purchasing an off-the-shelf software package designed for purpose
How Service Links to Council Priorities
This section contains the same information as collected in the previous year’s budget setting process. The priorities will be reviewed by the Members and either modified or confirmed as consistent (remaining the same as last year). The data provided on this document will be summarised and challenged at Corporate Management Team for content and consistency.
Priority
Description of how service contributes to Council Priority
1
Improving car parks, signage and information systems contributes to access to shops and facilities, improving first impressions of locality for visitors
2
Efficient use of parking contributes to traffic management and the vision for the regeneration and development strategy
3
Off-street Car Parks contribute to reducing congestion and improving safety while planning implications for housing consider traffic management issues.
4
Car parking contributes to traffic management which in turn is considered by businesses when relocating to the area.
5
Working with Northumberland County Council in considering the impact of on-street and residents parking schemes
6
Boat Launching at Beadnell and controlled access to our shoreline for water based activities in conjunction with AONB
Safe and friendly car parks encourage visitors
7
Parking Backroom software and web based applications enable a wider range of users to access information
The use of affordable cars and vans allows staff to provide access to and maintain services throughout the Borough.
8
9
Successful Park Mark awards would support a safer quality of service
10
by contributing to transport interchanges and potential park and ride facilities
11
12
Contribution to Other Five C’s
Outcome Factor
Description of how service contributes to “C” Factor
Customers
Users are able to access information and make use of parking facilities as part of a wider need
Communication
Improved web applications make resources available to a wider audience
Cohesion
contributing to the Masterplan and working with a range of internal/external suppliers to improve the services
Culture
By providing a professional response
Compliance
ongoing training and improvements to meet targets and requirements
Service Proposals for next 3 Years
Measure / Milestone
Reference
Forecast2007/8
Target 2008/9
Target 2009/10
Target 2010/11
off street revenue
£811650
£836000
£853000
870000
No of Excess Charges
2150
2000
1900
1850
Car Park rolling 5 year upgrade
£50,000 -500,000
ongoing
£50,000 – 450,000 or balance
£50,000 – 400,000 or balance
review annual season car park permit scheme
£155920
£187104
£194500
£200000
These targets will feed directly into the Best Value Performance Plan. Once the targets have been established and agreed (in principle) with the Head of Service or Director, an assessment of resources required should be made in the next table.
Measure / Milestone
Reference
Resources Needed
Less
Same
More
off street revenue
x
No of Excess Charges
x
Car Park rolling 5 year upgrade
X
Annual season permits
x
The achievements of some of these targets will be achievable within existing or reduced resources.
Where service improvements are linked to more resources a ProjectBrief (template available on the Intranet) should be completed and submitted to the Programme Improvement Board.
Where service improvements are linked to less resources, the proposals for savings should be identified in the Proposals to Achieve Cashable & Efficiency Gains section.
