Introduction from Councillor Steve Davis -

I am delighted to welcome you to Brighton & Hove City Councils Parking Annual Report 2020-21.

This year’s report contains a review on what has happened within Parking Services over the past financial year and includes an overview of the financial accounts. Additionally, it sets our significant achievements throughout the last 12 months and identifies areas of the service where we are creating fresh and innovative solutions to improve service delivery, which in turn benefits everyone who is both living in and visiting in Brighton and Hove.

Parking and traffic management is an important public service, which provides benefits for pedestrians, cyclists, motorists and the wider community. Those benefits include maintaining road safety and access to jobs, goods and services.

Climate change remains a key focus for our authority and our Parking and Transport teams continue to contribute towards carbon reduction, not only by managing congestion and ensuring free movement of vehicles day to day but also developing policies to encourage sustainable travel choices and assisting in the role out of on-street Electric Vehicle charging facilities.

The work undertaken by the Parking Team was recognised nationally, when the service won Team of the Year at the National Parking Awards 2021.

Thank you to the hard work of the Parking and Enforcement Team (and wider Traffic Management Team) not only for their ongoing commitment to continuous improvement and innovation, but also their exceptional response over an extremely challenging time.

Thank you for taking the time to read our Annual Report which we hope you find interesting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Section                                                                                             Page

Section 1) Overview from Charles Field                                  Pg.3

Section 2) Parking Objectives and Strategies                        Pg.5

Section 3) The Impact of Covid-19                                             Pg.6

Section 4) Blue Badge Scheme & Tackling Fraud                Pg.7

Section 5) Becoming a Carbon Neutral City                           Pg.9

Section 6) Electric Vehicles                                                          Pg.11

Section 7) Cycling                                                                             Pg.12

Section 8) New Schemes                                                              Pg.14

Section 9) On Street Parking Enforcement                            Pg.15

Section 10) Parking Suspensions Filming & Events             Pg.17   

Section 11) Challenges, Representations and Appeals      Pg. 19

Section 12) CCTV and Bus Lane Enforcement                       Pg.20

Section 13) Off Street Car Parks                                                 Pg.22

Section 14) Permits                                                                         Pg.24

Section 15) The Customer Journey                                           Pg.26

Section 16) Financial Information                                             Pg.29

Section 17) How we Invest the Income                                   Pg.31

• 3 x overall winner of best parking annual report.
• Parking Team of the Year 20/21
• 65% of surplus income was spent on Concessionary bus fares.
• 44,821 On street parking spaces in the city
• There are 1,020 disabled bays across the city.
• 37,784 resident permits are on issue.
• 101,204 On street Penalty Charge Notices were issued.
• EV Ownership in Brighton and Hove increased by 53% from 566 EVs registered in the city in, March 2019 to 871 March 2020
• All 4 of the council’s barrier car parks are accredited with the Park Mark Award
• Parking is not just about cars. We have 857 cycle parking spaces across the city.
• 99% of faulty Pay and Display machines are fixed within 24 hours

·         Over 276 public Electric Charging Points are now installed in the City

·         2,501 parking bay suspensions were issued for events, building works & house removals

It has been another challenging year in the service but throughout all the ongoing difficulties we have seen a number of achievements as outlined in this document.

 

The Customer Service Team working with IT colleagues have introduced a new bespoke online permit system for resident and visitor permits. This has been done at speed due to the pandemic and the closure of the Customer Service centre. The implementation was carefully done in stages starting with the introduction of a new controlled parking zone followed by the migration of our waiting list zones. We then continued to migrate residents on a month-by-month basis onto the new system. This has created a lot of contact from residents who have required assistance creating their new accounts (called MyAccount). Although the roll-out was extensively planned and phased, we did experience some problems that needed attention which adversely affected our service to some customers over late summer and we do apologise to those who suffered any inconvenience during this period.  Parking Services staff have been closely working with our IT department to resolve all these issues. After a restructure we have seen a high number of new staff within the service which has created its own challenges maintaining the workloads whilst ensuring staff have been trained.

Within the PCN Appeals & Bailiff Team it has been a challenging time for staff and public alike. In terms of the service, we looked at new ways to support people in difficulties and improving our policies on support for those with vulnerabilities. We worked closely with stakeholders to find new approaches to those who get themselves into difficulty so that enforcement can be directed to areas where it is needed most and being mindful of the Governments new debt respite scheme as a consideration.

The Parking Strategy & Contracts / Parking Projects Team have adapted to not only working from home but due to changes and growth has seen a number of new staff who required training and support. The teams have also worked extensively with EB Charging to try and develop the EV Charging experience as well as maintaining the quality and delivery of service of our existing contracts making decisions daily to best adapt to new circumstances and wider changes.  It has even led to a better and more efficient method of cash collection, where we create a bespoke list of machines each week, saving both money and emissions. The work undertaken by the team was recognised nationally when the service was shortlisted for the best new technology award at the National Parking Awards 2021.

The Blue Badge and Concessionary Travel Team have ensured that Mobility Assessments return to face to face following pandemic restrictions forcing us to stop and conduct assessments via telephone. New arrangements for accessible parking during the assessment have been implemented. We have also undertaken Operation Blue Bird – a joint operation between the police and the council’s Blue Badge investigators to tackle repeat or elusive offenders of Blue Badge Fraud as well as launching a new online system for bus pass applications.

The Disabled Car Users Advisory Group (DCUAG) was also formed in Autumn 2020 via the Third Sector Funding stream. The group is co-chaired by Possibility People and representatives from the Parking Management team and consists of members from organisations to individuals who are disabled car users or carers and council employees. Collaboratively the group agree subjects to be discussed and guest speakers are invited to talk about relevant issues and projects that affect disabled car users in the city. The purpose of the DCUAG is to improve communications between Parking Services and disabled residents in the city by providing a direct and safe environment where open discussions and feedback can take place. The group are currently helping council employees to identify needs and potential problems that disabled users may face when using an electric charging disabled bay. Other subjects discussed have been the Blue Badge fraud awareness campaign, use and design of Blue Badge bays and cycle lane issues.

In the Parking Infrastructure team, they have also continued with the large number of consultations and reviews on parking schemes but rather than sending out paper questionnaires (unless needed for accessibility reasons) we have taken this forward via the Council website.

Within the Traffic Control Centre, a lot of the focus has been looking to potential changes to national legislation. For this reason, a restructure is underway to realise the objectives of our Transport Control Centre development program to future proof the Service to 2030 and beyond. This will realise the corporate objective of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 and develop the Transport Control Centre to safeguard and maximise the income streams from existing and emerging enforcement legislation and new enforcement strategies. We are looking to maximise the use of technology and staff resource to manage the road network more effectively. This would include implementing ongoing asset management recommendations to deal more effectively with asset maintenance across a number of areas including car parks, pay and display machines and electric vehicle charging points. Alongside this the Traffic Control Centre have gained the British Parking Association Safer Parking Scheme and Disabled Parking Accreditation at all 4 main car parks, The Lanes, London Road, Trafalgar Street Car Park, Regency Square. The team have also undertaken significant car park refurbishment, equipment replacement and contract work whilst remaining a 24/7 service throughout the ongoing difficulties. This is in addition to the introduction of additional CCTV enforcement at Valley Gardens and at 16 other bus lane sites while securing approval from the Vehicle Certification Agency to use our entire estate of CCTV cameras for enforcement purposes.

 

These are all significant achievements which has allowed us to progress as a service despite the issues all local authorities face with the ongoing difficulties and uncertainties associated with the pandemic. We were so pleased that we were recognised for this by winning the Team of the Year award at the National Parking awards 2021 and also the ‘Consistent Excellence Award’ this year in the PACER Awards where our considerable success and high-quality report writing over the years was highlighted.

Brighton and Hove’s Parking Service provides over 44,376 parking spaces, catering for all road users and vehicle types. It is responsible for providing, managing, and enforcing on-street parking facilities and controls throughout the whole of the city, that includes some 33.8 miles of kerbside with a population of over 290,000 residents.

This annual report provides information on the activities of Brighton and Hove’s Parking Service during 2020/21. It details achievements in delivering innovative and sustainable improvements as well as looking ahead to any future developments and opportunities. The report also includes parking and enforcement statistics, plus financial information with comparative data from previous years.

Brighton and Hove City Council’s Parking Service Team aims to be at the forefront of new and relevant parking initiatives. We aim to promote best practice and continual quality improvement across the service and within the parking industry as a whole.

We continue to build on the excellent close working relationships with our partners in Sussex Police, East Sussex County Council, Brighton and Sussex University, Visit Brighton and local businesses and contractors to provide joined up solutions to the problems that careless or inconsiderate parking can create.

Our Commitment

Our commitment to our residents, businesses and visitors is to make it fair, accessible and safe to park in Brighton and Hove. We will seek to make it as easy as possible for those who need to park in Brighton and Hove to find and pay for their parking space.

1. We will continue to be open and transparent about how much income is generated from the parking service, where we invest the surplus, and how much on-street parking services cost.
2. We will seek to limit fraud and take appropriate action against those who use disabled badges or residents parking permits fraudulently.
3. We know that around 98% of people who park in Brighton and Hove comply with the parking rules. Our Civil Enforcement Officers are there to help and not just ensure that people park legally. They will advise on where to park and how to pay.
4. We know that the city, is a uniquely busy place and, with our partners, we shall continue to seek ways to manage parking in a way that keeps the city moving. Our Civil Enforcement Offices will continue to monitor vehicles parked on Brighton and Hove’s streets and will report any suspicious behaviour, vandalism, or theft to the local police.
5. We are committed to the reduction of air pollution in the city. The city’s transport network and parking enforcement is crucial to carbon neutral status and keeping traffic moving. The Council’s ambition is to make our city net carbon neutral by 2030.
6. We want our city to be a fair and inclusive place for everyone. We continue to promote equality by providing and updating equality impact assessments, ensuring we have an engaged workforce by promoting self-learning and simply learning through everyday experiences.

 

 

Infographics

• Brighton & Hove is 33.8 square miles -show picture of a map.
• Population – 290,395 (BHHC our plan 20-23)
• The economy of the city is service based with a strong emphasis on creative, digital, and electronic technologies. Tourism and entertainment are important sectors for the City, which has many hotels and amusements.
• 24 Controlled parking zones covering Portslade, Hove, and Brighton.
• Number of Off-Street spaces – 2,271

 

Covid-19: Travelling in the city

Coronavirus (Covid-19) significantly changed the way people used roads and public spaces in Brighton and Hove. As people tried to avoid public transport, demand for parking increased and the reintroduction of charges and enforcement became increasingly necessary to ensure priority could be maintained for those who needed it most.

Like many authorities, we followed the advice of the British Parking Association, the Local Government Association and the Department for Transport outlining at which point we considered reviewing some parking concessions.

Active travel played an important role in helping people get around the city whilst maintaining physical distance and avoiding overcrowding on public transport

The key principles were:

• helping vulnerable people in the city
• making essential journeys safer
• supporting the local economy
• ensuring the transition to a Carbon Neutral city by 2030

Short term measures taken: -

Madeira Drive walking and cycling space - The full length of Madeira Drive from the Palace Pier roundabout was temporarily closed to motor vehicles to provide more open space for pedestrians and cyclists to travel and exercise safely during lockdown.  Civil Enforcement Officers were deployed to steward the access to the road.

Ensuring daily P&D machine cleansing – Three Civil Enforcement Officers were deployed to clean all the P&D machines three times a day.

Looking after the Vulnerable and Homeless – Civil Enforcement officers delivered food parcels to the homeless daily.

Parking Concessions for the NHS and Key Workers – We ensured key workers including NHS staff and the Police had access to parking spaces by allowing access to the Lanes Car Park and access to spaces near to their place of work.  The council provided free car parking to all NHS workers, social care staff and NHS volunteer responders.

Widening of Narrow Pavements – Some of the busiest areas in the city such as London Road and St James Street widened part of the pavement to encourage social distancing.

Concessionary bus travel extension - 24hr concessionary bus travel is now available for disabled people and was extended during the pandemic to include older people. This was introduced early on during lockdown to support passengers who may need to get to the shops early to buy essential items.

 

New Blue Badge Legislation 

From the 30^th August 2019 the Department of Transport expanded eligibility and simplified the application the process for Blue Badges. 

New online eligibility checks launched to make it simpler for people applying for Blue Badges. People with hidden disabilities, including anxiety disorders or a brain injury, can apply now for a Blue Badge.

We have received many comments about how this change has helped the lives of many people. Blue Badge holders can travel to doctor’s appointments, do their own shopping, maintain independence where possible or keep children or adults who would usually be at risk, safe when traveling.

 

Sunflower Lanyards

Our Blue Badge & Concessionary Travel Team are engaging with the Sunflower Scheme Hidden Disabilities Organisation. We want to promote this on our webpages and fully train our staff to be knowledgeable.

We’d like to improve public perception and understanding that not all disabilities are visible, in fact, 80% are hidden. By improving public awareness and empathy, we can hopefully create a kinder society.

We recognise that having a hidden disability dramatically affects how people perform in everyday life and the nature of the disability makes it difficult for other people to recognise them. Therefore, the work that the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Scheme is doing is very important to us.

Plain English Training

More training in the use of Plain English has been organised for the Blue Badge Team and has also been offered out to the rest of Parking.

This invaluable training is ideal to brush up on written communication skills, whether by customer emails, letters, or updating our webpages. The training focuses on the use of “Plain English” as opposed to jargon and includes grammar and spelling tips.

 

Blue Badge Applications

The below table highlights the number of Blue Badges issued and applications processed in 2020/21 compared to 2019/20 and 2018/2019.

	2018/19	2019/20	2020/21
Applications processed	4,545	4,971	4,200
Badges issued	4,287	4,410	4,022
Stolen	1	2	2
Refused	258	318	178
Cancelled (deceased)	700	565	783
Applications appealed	45	43	40

 

Blue Badge Fraud

• Number of Prosecutions - 19
• Number of individuals who have reoffended - 0
• Number of formal cautions - 0
• Number of Community Resolution Orders- 105
• Number of badges retained – 155
• 74 of those badges were destroyed due to being expired, cancelled, or the badge holder deceased

 

Due to the pandemic, there has been a decrease in the number of blue badges that have been retained. The investigators were not out checking blue badges displayed on street for the usual number of hours due to the government-imposed lockdown and restrictions.

The courts were also not operating to the capacity they normally would, and this has shown a significant impact with the delay of prosecutions being presented in court.

As opposed to being prosecuted, a Community Resolution may be offered for misuse of a Blue Badge if it is a first offence, and the person is willing to accept accountability for their actions. The Community Resolution is a Restorative Justice system in conjunction with the Police.

Community Resolution Orders (CRO’s)

The Community Resolution Order video is a way of deterring further offences and educating people that misuse of a Blue Badge is not a victimless offence. 

Prior to the pandemic if a Community Resolution was offered and accepted by the person, they would be invited to attend a Community Resolution session with one of the Blue Badge Investigators and a Police Officer. During this session they would be asked to watch a short information film about Blue Badges, answer a questionnaire about what they had just watched and listen to a talk from the Police Officer. As we have been unable to hold these sessions, we have had to adapt how we deliver and complete a Community Resolution.

Currently if a Community Resolution is offered this will be done via the post. The person will be given a link to enable them to watch the film, if they are unable to access this, they may be asked to attend a face-to-face session later. The person will need to return the completed questionnaire with completed and signed paperwork from Brighton and Hove City Council and the Police. They are also asked to provide a short letter of apology for their actions. Providing all paperwork is completed the Community Resolution will be signed off by the Police.

 

For more information on Blue Badges please visit:

 

https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/content/parking-and-travel/parking/apply-or-renew-a-blue-badge

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-blue-badge-scheme-rights-and-responsibilities-in-england/the-blue-badge-scheme-rights-and-responsibilities-in-england

Send an email to BlueBadgeParking@brighton-hove.gov.uk

 

 

Brighton & Hove is striving to become a net Carbon Neutral City by 2030

      Brighton and Hove City Council is working to tackle emission hotspots across the city, while also improving air quality for all residents and visitors.   We are working on effective ways to manage, and reduce harmful emissions, epically Nitrogen Dioxide and the range of carbon emissions, while supporting both business and personal travel.

 

Over a third of Brighton & Hove’s carbon emissions come from transport. (2030 Carbon Neutral Programme – March 2021)

A good transport system and services are fundamental to our economy and our quality of life. We have also long recognised that transport has adverse impacts on the environment. To avoid dangerous climate change we must act in Brighton and Hove, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport.

We need a shift to public transport and active forms of travel to bring down carbon and nitrous oxide emissions, which affect everyone in the city. 

The government plan is to phase out fossil fuelled vehicle sales by 2030, with allowance for some hybrids up to 2035. Switching from petrol and diesel vehicles to electric and hydrogen vehicles will save carbon emissions and improve air quality, as will a reduction in the length and number of vehicle trips.

Brighton & Hove City Council held a climate assembly from September 2020 to November 2020, on the topic of travel and transport. 

The key question was, ‘How can we step up actions to reduce transport-related carbon emissions in the city?’ 

Initiatives to achieve this include: -

• Create an inclusive and integrated transport system
• Develop a public realm which enables active travel 
• Deliver a School Streets programme to improve road safety and air quality outside schools 
• Promote physical activity, reducing social isolation 
• Increase use of public transport 
• Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan 
• Promote and use technology to reduce and manage travel by increasing the use of smart traffic signals
• Promote and facilitate the use of zero emission and electric vehicles 
• Install hundreds of on street electric charging points and rapid charging hubs for taxis  
• Improve air quality 
• Improve air quality through clean buses, taxis and delivery vehicles and seek further investment in zero emission buses
• Continue to implement an Ultra-Low Emissions Zone in city centre and consider expansion of the zone 
• Reduce carbon emissions from council owned and contractors’ vehicles. We expect all our contractors to become carbon neutral by 2031. 

 

What we have achieved by 2021.

The Council has made strides to reduce the adverse impacts of transport on its air quality including: 

• Brighton & Hove welcomed the first buses in the UK that can be set to run in zero-emissions mode whenever they travel through the city centre Ultra Low Emission Zone. Brighton & Hove Buses have invested £9.9 million in 30 new hybrid electric buses.
• Investing in electric vehicle infrastructure which has seen over 276 public electric vehicle charging points installed in residential areas this year and the development of electric hubs with rapid charging facilities for taxis.
• Offering a 50% discount for resident parking permits for eligible low-emission vehicles
• Developing cycling and walking infrastructure, creating 38km of cycle lanes and providing better connected cycling and walking routes through the city centre
• Displaying signage across the city centre to discourage engine idling at key junctions and taxi ranks
• Working with schools to raise awareness and encourage behavioural change to the use of sustainable travel by children and their carers’ and to prevent idling outside school gates
• The parking contractor NSL are trialling biodegradable PCN carriers

·         The council has been working alongside Car Clubs and looking to promoting car share of EV vehicles.

Pay by Phone have now been awarded “Carbon Neutral Plus” status and have also won Green Apple awards for their commitment to carbon neutrality. 

Meters for Trees

In January 2020, Brighton & Hove City Council announced it had signed up to PayByPhone’s carbon reduction initiative, Meters for Trees, to improve the environment. 

Back in 2017, Brighton & Hove City Council removed 700 of its 1,400 parking meters. Through Meters for Trees, PayByPhone donated 140 trees annually to the city.

Their additional investment in projects in the Amazon will help to offset 140 tonnes of carbon dioxide through the Portel-Pará REDD project.

PaybyPhone offers cashless parking payments that are more convenient for drivers and reduces the need for staff to drive round collecting cash from parking machines.

For more information about Meters for Trees, please visit www.paybyphone.co.uk/metersfortrees

And for more information about Brighton & Hove’s plans please visit https://new.brighton-hove.gov.uk/climate-change/becoming-carbon-neutral-2030

 

The most recent reports can be viewed on the council’s website:

https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/content/environment/noise-pollution-and-air-quality/air-quality-management-city

 

 

2020/21 marked a turning point for the City, with the widespread introduction of infrastructure for Electric Vehicles.

While the overall goal is to try and reduce car usage overall, removing the barriers to owning a fully electric, or a plug-in Hybrid, through providing public chargers is a positive first step to start curbing the range of emissions produced by conventional vehicles.

We are reviewing the feasibility of adapting our own fleets of vehicles, as well as ensuring our contractors have a clear road map for their own carbon neutrality and sustainability.

We installed discreet and accessible chargers on 276 chargers throughout the city. These chargers attached to existing infrastructure and can deliver up to 3.5kWh per hour, providing up to 100 miles worth of charge overnight. We have prioritised residential areas, specifically those areas with no parking off the street. Our lamppost chargers were used over 7,000 times in their first year, delivering approximately 210,000 miles of driving charge.

Our Fast Chargers are stand-alone units and are capable of delivering up to 7.5kWh per hour, with the potential to upgrade to 22kWh, requiring just a few hours to achieve a full charge.
The first of these chargers went live in September 2020, and have been used over 400 times in 2020/21, delivering approximately 22,000 miles of driving charge.

 

 

More information about electric vehicle charging in the city is available online:
https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/content/parking-and-travel/parking/electric-vehicles-and-charging

 

Other recommended sources for information:

 

Zap Map (for charge point locations plotted on a map):
https://www.zap-map.com/

 

Electric Brighton (community-oriented information for EV drivers in Brighton & Hove):
https://electricbrighton.com/

 

Cycle Parking

Parking is not just about motor vehicles; the council is committed to increasing the amount of cycle parking available to use on the city’s streets.

The council is committed to increasing the amount of Cycle Parking available to use in and around the city. Cycle parking facilities are installed on either the footway or the highway depending on availability of space. Where cycle parking is installed on the road they are referred to as Pedal Cycle Parking Places (PCPPs).

There are currently 857 cycle parking spaces across the city.

 

New Schemes

Following resident consultations, two new parking schemes were introduced during the financial year 2020/21

• Parking Zone U (Coombe Road Area)
• Parking Zone X (South Portslade Area)

Many new schemes have been introduced, in part, as a response to complaints about all-day (commuter) parking, which was causing difficulties for residents during the day. Issues with access for emergency services vehicles, pedestrian safety and traffic flow were also contributing factors.

Detailed Design consultation has taken place in the Surrenden area with a scheme to be implemented at the end of 2021 and with an extension to Zone P Hove Park area, to include Hazeldene Meads and The Beeches.

The Impact of Covid-19

There have been 16 experimental orders made in the last year with a further 10 amendments to those orders. Most of these experimental orders were in urgent response to the COVID-19 situation. Four of these have subsequently been made permanent.

Some of the changes included:

• Bus gates on Marlborough Place, St Georges Place and York Place and other traffic management measures in the Valley Gardens area
• Various changes to traffic management in the Old Town area of Brighton, including changes to parking and loading restrictions
• Changes to the access of vehicles to Sydney Street and Gardner Street and amended parking and waiting restrictions
• The introduction of a cycle lane on the south side of Kings Road and Kingsway
• Amended parking and loading restrictions in St James Street, Church Road and London Road - - this was an Experimental Order which has now been made permanent.

 

See Appendix 2 to view the number of parking bays

To request a new parking scheme please visit: - 

https://new.brighton-hove.gov.uk/parking-0/request-parking-restriction

https://new.brighton-hove.gov.uk/news/2019/residents-parking-schemes-update

CEOs assisting the community during Covid

 

Parking enforcement continued at various levels throughout Covid to ensure that key routes in the city were unobstructed and vital services were still able to operate. 

 

In addition to this, Civil Enforcement Officers were also deployed in other roles to help support the City through the pandemic:

 

Food Deliveries – From April 20 until May 21, NSL assisted the Council with delivering meals to people in emergency accommodation.  NSL deployed 3 cars and drivers every day to deliver around 250 lunch bags to drop off points around the city.  The CEOs were very happy to help support such a vital service during this time.

 

Household Waste Recycling Sites – Re-opening the city’s Household Waste & Recycling Centre sites was crucial in helping to reduce the increasing levels of fly-tipping. When they re-opened in May 2020, there was reduced capacity to ensure social distancing at the sites.  NSL provided several CEOs every day to assist with stewarding the entrances due to the huge demand and impact on traffic. 

 

Stewarding Road Closures – Madeira Drive was closed to traffic to ensure that people could utilise the seafront to exercise whilst maintain social distancing.  CEOs were deployed every day to steward the closure at each entrance to ensure that businesses and maintenance vehicles were still able to access the area.

 

Pay & Display Machine Cleaning – During the summer period of 2020, CEOs were deployed each day to clean touch points of the P&D machines along the busier seafront areas to help reduce the risk of spreading the virus.

 

Issuing of Penalty Charge Notices

The table below shows the number of PCN’s issued in the last three years, divided according to higher and lower fee banding. Parking contraventions deemed to be ‘less serious’ will incur a lower initial penalty than more serious offences.

The number of Penalty Charge Notices issued in 2020/21 decreased by 23,004 due to the impact of the pandemic.

 

Total of TMA penalty charge notices issued	2018/19	2019-20	2020-21
On-street: Number of higher-level penalty charge notices issued	86,959	96,156	79,625
On-street Number of lower-level penalty charge notices issued	32,832	26,452	20,086
Off-street: Number of higher-level penalty charge notices issued	307	134	55
Off-street: Number of lower-level penalty charge notices issued	2,587	1,506	1,479
Total	122,685	124,248	101,244

 

Penalty Charge Notices Paid & Paid at Discount

 

Penalty Charge Notices Paid Bus Lane & TMA	2018/19	2019/20	2020/21
Number of TMA & Bus Lane penalty charge notices paid	132,195	129,055	101,585
Percentage of penalty charge notices paid	67%	72%	63%
Number of TMA & Bus lane penalty charge notices paid at a discount rate	122,070	109,273	86,205
Percentage of penalty charge notices paid at a discount	62%	61%	53%

 

Green Patrol Vehicles

This year many of the patrol vehicles were replaced by a greener fleet of vehicles.  The diesel suspension van was replaced with a 100% electric alternative.  In addition, two petrol patrol cars were replaced with hybrid cars and two scooters are now also electric.

The fleet of electric vehicles has also increased to enforce outer areas of large and hilly parking zones.

Ambassadorial Work on Street

The Council’s Civil Enforcement Officers have a highly visible presence across Brighton and Hove. During their shifts Officers will frequently provide directions to local services and places of interest, report crimes and assist other agencies including the emergency services.

 

Monitoring Verbal Abuse Against Civil Enforcement Officers during Covid-19

Feedback from a lot of CEOs was that they were receiving a lot of negative comments and abuse regarding working during lockdown.

 

During this time, we asked all deployed colleagues to log any instances of abuse – including comments about being out during ‘lockdown’ on their Hand-Held Computers which we could then review. 

The aim of this project was to gather data on all levels of abuse – from name calling to physical attacks.  All forms of abuse are of course damaging, but not all abuse is highlighted or reported.

This project aimed to capture the data for the whole of November 2020 to establish the scale of abuse that Civil Enforcement Officers face.

To allow Civil Enforcement Officers to record this very simply and quickly we asked them to use their handheld devices to enter RED or AMBER as appropriate:

AMBER – Verbal attack (profanity, aggressive in nature, hateful/getting personal such as wishing the person or their family harm)

RED– Physical attack (any form of intentional physical contact)

The below table shows the number of Code’s that occurred in the month of November over the last three years.

 

November	2018	2019	2020
Red	14	12	14
Amber	9	17	17
Total	23	29	31

 

 

 

Following every code, a de-brief conversation is held with the CEO to look at whether anything could have been done to avoid or reduce the likelihood of the code occurring.  Over time, we also look at any patterns involving locations, vehicles, circumstances, or individual MOPs and or CEOs.

 

Any abuse towards our Enforcement Officers is completely unacceptable and the council supports prosecution of offenders such as in this case:

Man convicted and fined for abusing parking enforcement officer (brighton-hove.gov.uk)

 

Parking Suspensions:

A parking bay suspension involves suspending an existing parking restriction for a specific purpose. Reasons include, household removals, skip placement, building works, utility operations and special events.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Covid-19:

Parking suspensions are crucial for the smooth running of citywide events and utilities works. The major events the team process is Brighton Marathon, Pride, and the Kemptown Carnival. However, due to the pandemic, most events were postponed, and the number of applications processed were significantly lower for the first quarter of the financial year.

With the easing of lockdown, the suspension applications increased to unprecedented levels. The catch up continued throughout the year and included an increase in household removal applications due to the government’s reduction on stamp duty. The suspension team did an exceptional job managing the increase in application forms.

The table below shows the number of applications processed and bays suspended by year:

 

Year	Suspension Applications Processed	Parking Bays Suspended
2018/19	2239	6647
2019/20	2379	8189
2020/21	2501	7726

 

 

Film Friendly City:

Brighton and Hove City Council was designated ‘Film Friendly City’ status in 2014. This is in recognition of the growing importance of the city as a film and television location, and a centre for creative talent and film related businesses.

 

This status ensures those in the Film and TV industries are aware the council will support requests to film in our locality. Filming is important to the local economy, and by helping to encourage and facilitate filming, we are assisting with the development of all aspects of film related industry in the city.

 

Brighton & Hove is a fantastic place to film. The South Downs and beach are close by, there is a variety of architecture and equally good locations within a few miles. The city itself is host to film industry talent thanks to the Film School. Being able to film locally, not only benefits the economy, but it also supports the carbon neutrality programme by reducing the need to commute.

 

The Parking Strategy and Contracts team work closely with film crews on large scale projects to ensure residents and businesses are less impacted by parking suspensions.

 

Measures to minimise disruption could include:

 

-       Minimising use of technical vehicles in residential areas

-       Crew cars making use of existing on street provisions or car parks

-       Letter drops to residents in roads affected prior to filming

-       Crews liaising with relevant Resident Associations and businesses where applicable

-       Stewards marshalling the suspension areas to advise drivers ahead of start time

-       Crews offering alternative parking solutions

-       Promoting the use of ‘shuttle’ vehicles to drop off crew and relevant equipment

-       Utilising existing parking facilities where possible (loading bays, P&D, car parks)

-       Closely working with the Parking team to update and advise of potential problems

-       Promoting suspensions in quieter areas to limit those in residential areas

-       Suspending P&D or shared bays instead of residential bays where possible

 

Not all the above is compulsory or required for certain areas or shoots. However, we do expect a letter drop and considerations for technical vehicles for all large-scale film related suspensions as a minimum requirement.

 

 

Anyone that receives a Penalty Charge Notice and believes they should not have to pay the penalty due to their circumstances, is entitled to write to us explaining why. The council will then consider the reasons given and decide if they are sufficient to warrant the cancellation of the PCN.

We have a dedicated and qualified team who consider each case based upon its own merits. All formal correspondence is handled within the statutory time periods allowed for response.

The Council’s web-based service allows customers to view specific details about Penalty Charge Notices they have received and can submit a challenge or representation, monitor the progress of the representation, view photos of the incident, and make payments.

The table below shows the number of bus lane and parking Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) challenge representations made to the Council:

 

Challenges made to the council	2018/19	2019/20	2020/21
Number of penalty charge notices against which an informal or formal representation was made	51,964	54,370	47,910
Number of Traffic Management Act (TMA) penalty charge notices cancelled as a result of an informal or a formal representation which is successful	23,828	24,465	20,751
Number of penalty charge notices written off for other reasons (e.g., an error by the Civil Enforcement Officer or driver untraceable)	1,804	3,927	4,962
Percentage of Traffic Management Act penalty charge notices cancelled	19%	20%	23%

 

In 2020/21 the number of incoming appeals decreased by 11.8%. This is due to the reduction in Penalty Charge Notice’s issued due to the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown. Cancellation figures are also comparatively higher compared to previous years. A number of appellants received PCN’s as a result of Covid-19 and the council did not pursue the charge.

Appeals at adjudication

If the Council reject a person’s representation, they then have the right to present their case to the independent Traffic Penalty Tribunal within 28 days from the rejection notice. TPT hear appeals against penalties issued for parking, bus lane and moving traffic contraventions in England (outside London) and Wales.

The table below shows the results of cases taken to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal.

2019/20	TMA PCN	Bus Lane	Total
Council Lost	65	23	99
Council Won	62	34	85
Not contested by the council (PCN cancelled)	67	83	150

Traffic Penalty Tribunal Bus Lane packs

The Parking Projects Team create video documentation of all our bus lanes across the city. The videos show all the signs and lines within the bus lanes and the packs point directly to the current traffic orders within each area. For further information please visit the Traffic Penalty Tribunal website.

Debt recovery

This project is continuing with letters sent to advise debtors to make payment before cases are registered as a debt. The pandemic brought additional impacts for some and the appeals team invited anyone struggling to pay a fine to contact them.

https://www.trafficpenaltytribunal.gov.uk/

Bus Lane & CCTV Enforcement / Keeping the city moving.

 

Having a fast and reliable public transport network is vitally important to encourage more of us to leave the car at home and use sustainable travel instead.

Bus lanes keep our city moving, giving priority to buses so they can avoid congestion. This improves bus service reliability and reduces journey times. We are committed to improving public transport in Brighton and Hove and making the city’s air cleaner.

“The effective enforcement of the city's bus lanes is essential in the fight against the march of urban congestion, air quality problems and CO2, and in enabling our high frequency transit services to do their work for our citizens." 

Martin Harris – Managing Director of Brighton & Hove Bus Company

 

 

CCTV Monitoring by the Traffic Control Centre

 

Ongoing development of CCTV monitoring has improved the capacity to enforce illegal driving in all priority lanes, improving journey times for buses, taxis, and some motorcycles. 

The Traffic Management Team carry out daily checks on bus lane activity. Alongside this, bus stop enforcement via CCTV helps allow buses to park against the raised kerbs to aid passengers on/off buses and helps maintain bus journey times.

The Traffic Control Team conduct daily Bus lane sign / line audits, plus strategic routes monitoring and incident reporting helping to keep the traffic moving.

 

Bus Lane Enforcement

 

In 2020/21 several new unattended bus lane cameras were installed, , five cameras in Valley Gardens and twelve cameras in various locations around the city.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras have been installed to deter motorists from driving in the bus lanes and slowing journey times for residents, visitors, and commuters, who are using public transport.

The twelve cameras have been installed at various points along Western Road, Preston Road, Old Steine London Road and Lewes Road. These cameras increase the number of bus lanes to 37 that are already being enforced by ANPR.

The table below shows the number of Bus Lane PCN’s issued in 2020/21

 

	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21
Bus lanes
Number of Penalty Charge Notices	75,029	53,822	60,004
Number appealed	8,322	11,487	5,953
% appealed	11%	21%	10%
% Upheld	52%	56%	51%

 

Better bus lane enforcement will have played a key role in improving bus punctuality and the Brighton & Hove Bus Company has also been implementing other strategies including:

• Sponsoring of an enforcement officer to reduce delays to buses caused by other vehicles parking in bus stops and on bus routes
• More dual door buses
• Adding more running time to timetables

Valley Gardens bus gates

As part of the recent improvements to Valley Gardens, bus gates (with 5 ANPR cameras) have been installed to support the smoother travel of public transport, including buses and taxis, through the area.

The scheme includes a ‘public transport’ corridor on the western side of the gardens while on the eastern side the traffic will continue to flow north and southbound.

 

In Brighton and Hove, using car parks is often preferable to parking on the street as many roads are reserved for resident permit holders only. Car parks also allow parking for longer periods. Our car parks provide access to the town and an availability of parking space, absorbs traffic, and reduces congestion.

The council operates four barrier entry car parks (The Lanes, Trafalgar Street, Regency Square and London Road). 

Car Park	Spaces
The Lanes Car Park	355
Regency Square Car Park	507
Trafalgar Street Car Park	275
London Road Car Park	528
King Alfred Car Park	120
Norton Road Car Park	290
Blackrock Car Park	61
Rottingdean Marine Cliffs	70
Rottingdean West Street	65

 

 

Car Park Expenditure 2020/21

Location	Expenditure (£)	Income (£)	Income - COVID  Compensation (£)	Net Income (£)
London Road	£338,240	£341,712	£420,875	£424,347
Regency Square	£836,508	£853,142	£561,587	£578,221
The Lanes	£1,107,962	£1,001,627	£674,492	£568,157
Trafalgar	£606,975	£601,038	£548,288	£542,351
Oxford Court*	£342,713	£2,604	£0	-£340,109
High Street*	£68,315	£75,180	£0	£6,865
Other Off-Street	£184,995	£556,878	£197,701	£569,584
Total	£3,485,708	£3,432,181	£2,402,943	£2,349,416

 

Notes: -*The High Street Car Park figures shown are after a contribution has been made to the Council’s Housing Revenue Account.

Oxford Court Car Park has now been sold to facilitate a Doctors surgery development.

The table below shows the total figures for off-street parking over the last five years

Year	Expenditure	Income	Net income /Expenditure
2015/16	3,036,792	5,703,130	2,666,337
2016/17	3,047,894	5,917,078	2,869,184
2017/18	3,384,967	6,092,432	2,707,465
2018/19	3,548,394	6,535,468	2,987,074
2019/20	3,805,899	6,379,890	2,573,991
2020/21	3,485,708	*5,835,124	2,349,416

 

*2020/21 income includes Covid SFC Compensation.

As a result of Covid -19, the surplus from off street parking has decreased by £224,575 to £2,349,416. 

Improvements

New Visual Message Signs (VMS) have now been installed outside all barrier car parks, informing visitors of car park capacity information, along with the addition of diversions information.

 

We have put significant investment into London Road car park this year to ensure it continues to function as a car park for the foreseeable future.

 

There were major repairs to the concrete fins and around the car park and we installed a new safety barrier system round the whole of the car park.

 

New bi-fold gates have been installed at London Road car park to replace the existing shutters that were in place. Replacing the shutters, that were often faulty and had to be left open, increased the safety of the car park and reduced noise for the neighbours at both the entry and exit.

 

New equipment will be installed in all our barrier entry car parks by the end of 2021.

 

All the Council’s carparks have Lifecare plans, structural appraisals plus annual and periodic inspections.

 

Park Mark - A safe place: -

All four of the Council’s barrier car parks are accredited with the Park Mark award.

In 2020/21 we have been tackling anti-social behaviour when it arises in the Council’s Car Parks with 24/7 CCTV monitoring and working alongside security patrols and Police Liaison.

The Council’s car parks are part of a safe space scheme, in allowing vulnerable people to go to the car parks and seek assistance. 

 

Disabled Parking Accreditation

All the Council’s barrier car parks have achieved the Disabled Parking Accreditation. The scheme recognises off-street parking facilities which are accessible to disabled people. The DPA is primarily aimed at improving parking for disabled people and reducing abuse of disabled bays.

Car parks that achieve the DPA also demonstrate to their customers that they are committed to creating high quality parking facilities for disabled people, such as: -

·         easy access

·         good lighting

·         good signage

·         accessible payment methods 

·         enforceable designated bays

 

Covid 19

 

Signage was placed on the walls of all the Council car parks. The floors were marked  out for social distancing due to Covid-19.

 

Following guidance from the BPA signage has been erected to ask customers to wear facemasks whilst in the car parks too.

 

Brighton & Hove City Council, Traffic Control Centre 

The city’s Traffic Control Centre is a hub for traffic management and signals controls. Alongside this it provides customer service to pay-on-foot cars parks and around the clock controls at all the barrier car parks. 

Motorists who require assistance can contact the Control Centre via an intercom and officers operate the barriers and pay machines remotely.  The Control Centre is supported by a Mobile Maintenance Team and CCTV monitoring and work closely with Sussex Police and local contractors.

Further information on the Council’s car parks here:

 

https://new.brighton-hove.gov.uk/content/parking-and-travel/parking/car-parks

New Resident and Visitor permit system ‘MyAccount’:

Due to Covid-19, the Customer Service Centre remains closed. The Councils ICT and our Permit team have continued to develop the online system for permits. Many resident permits, including all new applications since June are now on the new system linked to MyAccount. Once fully deployed, this will help us work more efficiently, and will make it easier for customers to complete transactions relating to their permits online, via phone, tablet, or personal computer.

The current developments are moving towards simplifying the system for customers and bringing services into one portal called MyAccount. This will have intended benefits so customers will be able to access an increasing range of services through the MyAccount portal including council tax, school applications, recycling etc. as well as being able to self- serve for common tasks such as changing a vehicle. These changes will help prevent fraud, better protect data, and make it easier for residents to keep track of their payments and notify us of any changes.

Over the next year, more permit types will be available through MyAccount. Other changes, introduced incrementally, will be designed to benefit our customers - for example, not having to submit certain types of evidence to Parking Services if you've already provided them to other services.

No transition of this complexity can be achieved without the risk of some temporary problems emerging.  However, we have adjusted our approach to learn the lessons of summer 2021, and will plan carefully to avoid a repeat of those issues as we continue to improve our systems, and through them our service to customers

Accessibility line:

This is offered to support residents who may be digitally excluded, where we would process the application on their behalf or if they have access, we will assist them completing the online application.

The table below shows the number of permits issued in the last four years categorised according to permit type:

Permit Type	On Issue as of 1 July 2017	On Issue as of 1 July 2018	On Issue as of 1 July 2019	On Issue as of 1 July 2020	On Issue as of 1 July 2021
Business	1378	1387	1178	1036	921
Car Club	113	108	118	111	166
Carer	246	330	325	272	301
Dispensation	543	572	573	497	755
Doctor	121	118	137	138	170
Resident (including match day)	31283	37321	37548	36369	37784
Professional Carer	2177	2355	2521	2512	2643
Schools	234	296	261	238	364
Trader	2237	2320	2371	2030	2272

Covid-19 Parking Pass:

In line with central government guidelines, parking passes were issued to NHS staff members, health, and social care workers, plus NHS Volunteer Responders. The parking pass provided free parking to those on official duty, working as part of the Covid-19 response effort.

 

Waiting Lists:

Waiting lists are now managed through MyAccount - a benefit to customers is that the new system allows us to offer a permit the day it becomes available and no longer waiting for the monthly offering out. Waiting List zones are currently applicable to parking zones M, Y and Z.

The table below compares the number of residents on the waiting list in areas, Y and Z and M parking zones over the last four years:

Resident Parking Zone	Number on Waiting List at 01/07/18	Number on Waiting List at 01/07/19	Number on Waiting List at 01/07/20	Number on Waiting List at 01/07/21
Central Brighton North - Y	225	208	119	299
Central Brighton South - Z	337	343	155	303
Central Hove - M	N/A	N/A	N/A	311
Total	562	551	274	913

 

The waiting list numbers are higher this year due to the introduction of parking zone M. The transport covid response changes also reduced parking spaces in central Brighton to support walking and cycling during the pandemic. Please see https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/travel-and-transport-covid-19 for more information.

Traders Permits – Low Emission Permits

Trader Permit Holders now receive a 50% discount for low emission vehicles.

Permit Type	3 months	12 months
Standard	£200	£700
Low emission	£100	£350
High emission	£250	£875

 

*Please refer to appendix 3 for permit issue by zone detail.

 

Supporting our customers through Covid-19.

2020/21 has been a year like no other for our customers and staff.  Due to social distancing restraints the Customer Service Centre closed, and we had to change our customer contact procedures in a short period of time. 

Customer Feedback

Customer feedback was vital to shape and improve the information we provide and continue to expand communications by utilising the corporate website and social media. This allows us to adapt as customers trend to communications on new platforms.

In 2020/21 we have been working towards: -

·          Establishing a customer experience working group for Parking & Transport focusing on making improvements to the services directly for the benefit of customers

·          Working with ICT and D to create an online payment system.

·         Integrating with MyAccount and the Customer Index to provide an intuitive and streamlined application process for customers.

·         Communicating with customers online (email/ website/social media) where possible and appropriate. This is often quicker and more convenient.

·         Working with customers to find the best way to get help if they have specific access needs

·         Having open conversations in team meetings regarding inclusion, equalities, and diversity

·         Identifying customers who will be affected by a planned change to service delivery and contacting them directly in advance of that change.

 

Complaints and Compliments

Brighton & Hove City Council has a formal complaints procedure and provides the opportunity for customers to complement our services and staff. Where complaints are received, these are investigated and the complainant responded to, outlining what action, if appropriate will be taken to rectify the matter.

In 2020/21 Corporate complaints have decreased by 10% from 254 to 169 corporate complaints.

Compliments have increased by 56% from 93 to 145 compliments

85% of Stage 1 complaints were responded to within 10 days.

 

The below table highlights some of the compliments received in 2020/21

 

Complaint / Compliment	Outcome
Permit Application	“Reyhaneh. Thank you so much- made my day- first time I've seen my son since lockdown“Service user was 60 and wanted her permits for her birthday.
Concessionary travel application	“Thank you so much Heidi, Fabulous service!  I can't believe how quickly you have dealt with this, in spite of all you have to deal with!  Much appreciated.”
Blue Badge Application	“Amongst other issues I suffer from a very great deal of anxiety and your prompt and informative reply has helped allay that fear that my application has gone awry. When you struggle day-to-day it really is the normalising things like a speedy and courteous reply that make such a difference.”
NHS Parking During Covid	“I would like to thank the Council for continuing to allow NHS staff free parking whilst at work. I am a Staff Nurse in ITU at the Royal Sussex. It's so much less stressful for me to drive straight to work thereby avoiding public transport and it's such a treat to just park up, put my details on display and go to work!”

 

Customer Ambassadors

Our customer contact ambassadors have been mapping ‘customer journeys’ to move transactions online, update our webpages and support our ‘roadmap’ to recovery.

 

Telephone Calls

 

Due to the closure of the Customer Contact centre in 2020/21 we received 40,172 telephone calls. This increased by 44% compared to 2019/20.

 

 

Social Media

During lockdown the public have been increasingly using Social Media to contact BHCC Transport / Parking.  Our Transport Twitter feed provides up to date information regarding new transport projects, new schemes, and links to our 24-hour on-line services.

We also use Twitter as a platform to raise awareness for road safety campaigns, such a promoting safer route to school and to encourage sustainability within transport, for example, by encouraging local walking and cycle routes.

Our Twitter feed can provide a forum for various transport groups, residents, and visitors to air their views and engage in a number of parking and transport related topics.

Examples: - 

@BHCC_Transporthello 👋 Noticed that a signpost on corner of Albion Hill & Queens Park Road looks like it’s been knocked over and in quite a dangerous state. Could fall at any moment and it’s right outside a nursery. Could injure someone. Can you get someone to fix it? Thanks!

Parking & Transport@BHCC_Transport Hello, thank you for reporting this, we can confirm the sign has been fixed

@BHCC_TransportI need to swap cars with a family member's for about a month. Am I able to get a temporary parking permit for this amount of time??

 

Parking & Transport@BHCC_TransportHi, Yes, you are entitled two temporary codes a year on a valid permit. If you have an active MyAccount you can do this through your account. If not, please click on this link for more information. bit.ly/3wIYDKe the telephone number is also on this page. Thank you

 

Website

On Average there were 110,000 web views per month in 2020 /21.

The webpages are regularly checked and with continuing maintenance of webpages and links to other information so that they are always up to date.

Top 5 pages: -

Pay your Penalty Charge Notice

Resident Parking Permits

Penalty Charge Notices / PCN

Visitor permits

Car Parks

 

You can visit the parking website here:-

Parking, travel and road safety

Parking charges are designed to manage the availability of parking spaces. For example, charges may need to be set at a higher level in the city centre to reduce demand for on-street parking. This in turn helps to improve air quality and ease congestion at busy locations.

Fees and charges are reviewed annually to make sure they cover the cost of services and provide value for money. Changes are approved by the Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee. The Council has the discretion to set charges to reflect its parking policies.

The surplus is the money remaining after direct costs for enforcement, administration, and maintaining parking machines are deducted. The majority of the parking surplus is spent on providing free bus passes for older and disabled people, which the Council has a legal duty to provide.

Money is also invested back into supporting bus services and other transport projects. You can read more about this in the “How we invest the income” chapter.

COVID-19

The council was successful in applying for a government support grant to assist with covering Covid income losses. The total surplus for the Council from parking income for 20/21 was £15,154,019, including money from the grant.

Income by source	2018/19	2019/20	2020/21
On-street parking charges	£11,441,854	£11,558,889	£7,108,666
Permit Income	£9,589,716	£10,081,467	£8,743,901
Penalty Charge Notices (inclusive of bad debt provision)	£5,832,784	£5,744,489	£4,268,051
Covid funding from central government	£0	£0	£5,136,520
Other	£95,985	£78,841	£74,615
Total	£26,960,340	£27,463,686	£25,331,753

 

The below table shows income by source and the direct cost of civil parking enforcement.

Direct cost of civil parking enforcement		2018/19	2019/20	2020/21
Enforcement		£4,601,931	£4,928,865	£4,501,734
Admin, appeals, debt recovery and maintenance		£3,238,111	£3,528,637	£3,258,156
Scheme review or new schemes		£1,076,960	£1,239,479	£1,150,022
Capital charges		£1,261,186	£1,265,915	£1,267,822
Total		£10,178,188	£10,962,896	£10,177,734
Surplus after direct costs		£16,782,152	£16,500,790	£15,154,019

 

 

On Street Parking Surplus Spending

 

Any surplus made through parking fees and charges has to be invested into transport and highways. This is a legal requirement. In 2020/21, after direct costs, there was a surplus of £15,154,019. This is a decrease of 8.16% on the previous financial year. The table below shows a year-on-year comparison of how surplus income was invested back into transport and highways.

 

On Street Parking Surplus Spending

 

Spending supported by civil parking enforcement income surplus	2018/19	2019/20	2020/21
Concessionary fares	£10,796,363	£10,774,831	£10,535,684
Capital investment borrowing costs	£2,461,097	£2,362,653	£1,854,964
Supported bus services and other public transport services	£1,322,917	£1,216,309	£1,499,372
Contribution to eligible related expenditure	£2,201,744	£2,146,997	£1,263,998
Total	£16,782,152	£16,500,790	£15,154,018

Use of surplus income from parking charges and penalty charges is governed by section 55 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. Once the need for provision of off-street parking facilities and to make good deficits to central funding has been met, use of surpluses is currently confined to the provision of public transport services or to road, air quality or environmental improvements.

Supported bus services

The Council supports some bus routes by subsidising the costs of running these services. The Council continued to provide funding for supported routes throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. In the financial year 2020/21 the Council spent £1,263,998 on supporting bus services. 

Concessionary bus fares

A mandatory bus concession for older and disabled people has been in place since 2001. The scheme has gradually been extended since its introduction and since April 2008 has provided free off-peak local bus travel to eligible older and disabled people anywhere in England.

The majority of the surplus is spent on providing free travel for both the elderly and disabled citizens. We continued to pay bus operators at pre pandemic levels adhering to guidance from the Department for Transport.

We spent £10,535,684 on this service in financial year 2020/21 and the Council have continued to support bus services with these payments throughout the pandemic.

 

Bus Pass Applications in 2020/21 compared to 2018/19 and 2019/20 

 

Applications	2018/19	2019/20	2020/21
Successful applicants	1,794	2,194	1,535
Renewals	2,290	4,786	13,704
Replacements	2,473	2,539	1,734

 

 

Brighton and Hove had a large volume of passes expiring between April 2020 and November 2020 and this is what has contributed to the large increase of renewals in 2020/21.

 

The pandemic also affected the increase due to users not renewing the bus passes or not using their bus passes. 

Changes to concessionary travel during the Pandemic.

Brighton and Hove City Council introduced the temporary 24-hour extension for older bus pass holders in March 2020 to allow safe and convenient journeys in the height of the lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Older people were able to use their bus passes to travel early in the morning, when many supermarkets were offering special shopping time slots for the most vulnerable due to food shortages.

The older person’s bus pass times have now been changed back to the hours between 9am and 4am so that fewer vulnerable people will be travelling on the same buses as children and teenagers now that pupils have returned to school.

The aim is to protect older people who are at higher risk from coronavirus.

Taxi vouchers

As an alternative to applying for a concessionary bus pass, Brighton & Hove City Council currently offers taxi vouchers (up to the value of £70 per year) to residents who are unable to use their bus pass because of a disability. To discourage misuse, vouchers have been personalised with a photograph of the user.

Taxi vouchers issued in 2020/21 compared to 2018/19 and 2019/20

 

Voucher applications	2018/19	2019/20	2020/21
On issue	606	651	658
Successful applicants	70	123	38
Renewals	467	528	518

 

You can find more information on taxi vouchers on our website.

https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/content/parking-and-travel/travel-transport-and-road-safety/public-transport-news-0

 

Appendix 1 On and off-street parking charges

 

	2020/21 (£)	2021/22 (£)
Off-street car parks
Black Rock
1 hour	1.10	1.20
2 hours	2.20	2.40
3 hours	4.40	4.80
4 hours	5.50	6.00
11 hours	7.20	Deleted
12 hours	New	9.00
King Alfred
1 hour	1.80	2.00
2 hours	2.50	3.00
3 hours	3.50	4.00
4 hours	4.50	5.00
12 hours	New	10.00
Annual Season Ticket	800.00	1,000.00
Rottingdean Marine Cliffs
1 hour	1.10	1.20
2 hours	2.20	2.40
4 hours	4.00	4.50
11 hours	5.00	Deleted
12 hours	New	6.00
Quarterly season ticket	60.00	65.00
Norton Road
1 hour	1.10	1.20
2 hours	2.20	2.40
4 hours	3.80	4.50
5 hours	4.90	5.50
9 hours	6.00	7.00
12 hours	7.10	8.00
Annual season ticket	800.00	900.00
Staff Annual Permit	400.00	450.00
Rottingdean West Street
1 hour	1.10	1.20
2 hours	2.20	2.40
3 hours	3.30	3.60
The Lanes
1 hour	3.50	4.00
2 hours	7.00	8.00
4 hours	15.00	17.50
9 hours	21.00	24.00
24 hours	25.00	29.00
Lost ticket	25.00	29.00
Weekend: 1 hour	4.00	4.50
Weekend: 2 hours	8.50	10.00
Weekend: 4 hours	16.00	18.50
Weekend: 9 hours	21.00	24.00
Weekend: 24 hours / lost ticket fee	25.00	29.00
Evenings: 18.00–24.00	4.50	5.00
Night: 24.00–11.00	5.00	Deleted
Night 24.00-8.00	New	5.00
Weekend Evenings	New	6.00
Weekend Night	New	6.00
Annual season ticket	2500.00	2850.00
Reduced charge annual season ticket: Resident permit waiting list 16.00–11.00 Mon–Fri (Zone Z only)	1500.00	1800.00
London Road
1 hour	1.60	2.00
2 hours	3.30	4.00
4 hours	6.50	7.50
9 hours	10.00	11.50
24 hours	15.00	17.50
Lost ticket	15.00	17.50
Evenings: 18.00–24.00	4.50	5.00
Night: 24.00–8.00	New	5.00
Lost ticket admin fee	5.00	5.00
Weekly	55.00	63.50
Annual season ticket	1200.00	1380.00
Annual season ticket: reduced rate for Area Y permit holders, and businesses of New England House, City Point or One Brighton	800.00	920.00
Reduced charge annual season ticket: Resident permit waiting list (Zone Y) 16.00–11.00 Mon–Fri	420.00	480.00
Regency Square
1 hour	3.00	3.50
2 hours	5.50	6.50
4 hours	10.50	12.00
9 hours	14.00	16.00
24 hours / Lost ticket	20.00	23.00
Evenings 18.00–24.00	4.50	5.00
Night 24.00–8.00	New	5.00
Lost ticket administration fee	5.00	5.00
Weekend - 1 hour	New	4.00
Weekend – 2 hours	New	7.00
Weekend – 4 hours	New	12.50
Weekend – 9 hours	New	17.50
Weekend – 24 hours / Lost ticket	New	25.00
Weekend Evenings 18.00 – 24.00	New	6.00
Weekend Night 24.00 – 8.00	New	6.00
Weekly season ticket	60.00	70.00
Quarterly season ticket	330.00	380.00
Annual season ticket	1100.00	1255.00
Commercial season ticket (annual)	1200.00	Deleted
Reduced annual season ticket: Resident permit waiting list 16.00–11.00 Mon–Fri (Zone M)	750.00	860.00
Trafalgar Street
1 hour	3.30	4.00
2 hours	6.40	7.50
4 hours	10.00	11.50
6 hours	11.00	12.50
9 hours	13.00	15.00
24 hours / Lost ticket	16.00	18.50
Weekend: 1 hour	2.50	3.00
Weekend: 2 hours	4.50	5.00
Weekend: 4 hours	8.00	9.00
Weekend: 6 hours	10.00	11.50
Weekend: 9 hours	12.00	14.00
Weekend: 24 hours / Lost ticket	18.00	21.00
Evenings: 18.00–24.00	4.50	5.00
Night: 24.00–11.00	5.00	Deleted
Night 24.00 – 8.00	New	5.00
Lost ticket admin fee	5.00	5.00
Quarterly season ticket	400.00	460.00
Annual season ticket	1200.00	1380.00
Reduced annual season ticket: Resident permit waiting list (Zone Y) 16.00–11.00 Mon–Fri	750.00	865.00
On-street (Pay and display)
TARIFF ZONE 1
Zone Y: Central Brighton North
1 hour	3.80	4.30
2 hours	6.60	7.40
4 hours	11.00	12.40
Zone Z: Central Brighton South
1 hour	3.80	4.30
2 hours	7.40	7.40
4 hours	11.70	12.40
TARIFF ZONE 2
Zone Y: Central Brighton North
1 hour	2.10	2.40
2 hours	4.80	5.50
4 hours	6.90	7.90
TARIFF ZONE 3
Zone M: Brunswick & Adelaide
1 hour	2.10	2.40
2 hours	4.80	5.50
4 hours	6.90	7.90
TARIFF ZONE 4
Zone A: Preston Park Station
1 hour	1.10	1.20
2 hours	2.10	2.40
4 hours	4.20	4.70
11 hours	5.80	6.50
Zone C: Queen’s Park
1 hour	1.10	1.20
2 hours	2.10	2.40
4 hours	4.20	4.70
11 hours	5.80	6.50
Zone E: Preston Park Station (North)
1 hour	1.10	1.20
2 hours	2.10	2.40
4 hours	4.20	4.70
11 hours	5.80	6.50
Zone F: Fiveways and Balfour
1 hour	1.10	1.20
2 hours	2.10	2.40
4 hours	4.20	4.70
11 hours	5.80	6.50
Zone G: Hollingbury Road & Ditchling Gardens
1 hour	1.10	1.20
2 hours	2.10	2.40
4 hours	4.20	4.70
11 hours	5.80	6.50
Zone H: Kemp Town & Hospital
1 hour	1.10	1.20
2 hours	2.10	2.40
4 hours	4.20	4.70
11 hours	5.80	6.50
Zone I: Craven Vale
1 hour	1.10	1.20
2 hours	2.10	2.40
4 hours	4.20	4.70
Zone J: Preston Circus
1 hour	1.10	1.20
2 hours	2.10	2.40
4 hours	4.20	4.70
11 hours	5.80	6.50
Zone K: Preston Village
1 hour	1.10	1.20
2 hours	2.10	2.40
4 hours	4.20	4.70
Zone N: Central Hove
1 hour	1.10	1.20
2 hours	2.10	2.40
4 hours	4.20	4.70
11 hours	5.80	6.50
Zone O: Goldsmid
1 hour	1.10	1.20
2 hours	2.10	2.40
4 hours	4.20	4.70
11 hours	5.80	6.50
Zone Q: Prestonville
1 hour	1.10	1.20
2 hours	2.10	2.40
4 hours	4.20	4.70
11 hours	5.80	6.50
Zone R: Westbourne
1 hour	1.10	1.20
2 hours	2.10	2.40
4 hours	4.20	4.70
11 hours	5.80	6.50
Zone T: Hove Station
1 hour	1.10	1.20
2 hours	2.10	2.40
4 hours	4.20	4.70
11 hours	5.80	6.50
Zone V: Hanover & Elm Grove
1 hour	1.10	1.20
2 hours	2.10	2.40
4 hours	4.20	4.20
Zone W: Wish Road
1 hour	1.10	1.20
2 hours	2.10	2.40
4 hours	4.20	4.70
11 hours	5.80	6.50
Seafront (Pay & Display)
TARIFF ZONE 1
Seafront Inner: Madeira Drive (1 Mar–31 Oct) [West of Madeira Lift]
1 hour	3.70	4.30
2 hours	7.00	7.40
4 hours	11.70	12.40
11 hours	17.00	19.10
Seafront Inner: Marine Parade [West of Burlington Street]
1 hour	3.70	4.30
2 hours	7.00	7.40
4 hours	11.70	12.40
11 hours	17.00	19.10
Seafront Inner: King's Road
1 hour	3.70	4.30
2 hours	7.00	7.40
4 hours	11.70	12.40
11 hours	17.00	19.10
TARIFF ZONE 2
Seafront Inner: Kingsway [East of Fourth Avenue]
1 hour	2.10	2.40
2 hours	4.80	5.50
4 hours	6.60	7.90
11 hours	11.00	12.70
Seafront Inner: New Steine
1 hour	2.10	2.40
2 hours	4.80	5.50
4 hours	6.60	7.90
11 hours	11.00	12.70
TARIFF ZONE 3
Seafront Outer: Madeira Drive [East of Madeira Lift]
1 hour	1.10	1.20
2 hours	2.10	2.40
4 hours	4.50	5.10
11 hours	7.60	8.60
Seafront Inner: Madeira Drive (1 Nov–28/29 Feb) [West of Madeira Lift]
1 hour	1.10	1.20
2 hours	2.10	2.40
4 hours	4.50	5.10
11 hours	7.60	8.60
TARIFF ZONE 4
Rottingdean High Street
1 hour	1.10	1.20
2 hours	2.10	2.40
4 hours	3.40	3.70
Madeira Drive Coach Park
4 hours	9.50	11.00
8 hours	17.00	17.50
Permits
Resident permit – full schemes (zones: A, C, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, M, N, O, Q, R, T, V, Y, Z)* *Zones I, K, V introduced in 2017/18
Resident permit per household: 3 months (50 percent discount for low emissions/ 50% increase for high emissions)	45.00	45.00
Visitor permit (excluding zones M, Y and Z )First permit per household: 1 year (50 percent discount for low emissions)	3.50	3.50
Visitor permit (zones M, Y and Z only) Visitor permit (excluding zones M, Y and Z)	4.50	4.50
Resident permit: light-touch schemes (zones: L, S, U, W)* *Zones L and S introduced in 2017/18Visitor permit (zones M, Y and Z only)	4.50	4.50
Resident Permit: 6 months (50% discount for low emissions / 50 increase for high emissions )Resident permit: light-touch schemes (zones: L, S, U, W)* *Zones L and S introduced in 2017/18	60.00	60.00
Visitor permit – Light Touch	2.50	2.50
1 year Business permit	400.00	450.00
3 months	115.00	120.00
Traders permit 3 months (low emissions)	50.00
1 year Traders permit	760.00	760.00
3 months	235.00	135.00
Hotel permits
Area C (24 hours)	8.00	8.00
Area N (1 day)	3.50	Deleted
School permits
3 months	50.00	5.00
1 year	150.00	15.00
Other permits
Doctors permit (per bay)	100.00	100.00
Car Club (1 year)	25.00	25.00
Professional Carer (1 year)	52.00	52.00
Carer (non-professional)	10.00	10.00
Dispensation (1 year)	40.00	50.00
Waiver (1 day)	10.00	10.00
Suspensions
Suspensions
Daily charge for first 8 weeks	40.00	40.00
Community events (daily charge)	20.00	20.00
Suspensions – Utilities in zone M,Y,Z	60.00	60.00
Suspensions – All zones except M,Y,Z	50.00	50.00
Suspension Skips	20.00	20.00
Suspension Skips – longer than 8 weeks	40.00	40.00
Administration fees
Change of zone	10.00	10.00
Surrender of Permit	10.00	10.00
Change of vehicle	10.00	10.00
Replacement permit	10.00	10.00
Issuing resident permit to Blue Badge holder	15.00	15.00
Issuing resident permit to Blue Badge holder (low emissions)	10.00	10.00
Issuing Blue Badge	10.00	10.00
Blue Badge bay: application fee	11.00	11.00
Blue Badge bay: individual disabled bay	102.00	102.00
Suspensions	30.00	30.00
Zone B & D (event parking)
Resident permit	No Charge	No Charge
Business permit	No Charge	No Charge
Carer permit	No Charge	No Charge
School permit	No Charge	No Charge
Visitor permit (transferable)	No Charge	No Charge
Visitor permit (one day)	2.60	3.50
Change of vehicle	10.00	10.00
Replacement permit	10.00	10.00
Parking Infrastructure
Lining
Access Protection White Lines (per metre)	12.00	12.00
Replacing lining after crossover work (per metre)	12.00	12.00
Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) for new parking restriction outside the Controlled Parking Zone
Administration, advertising costs, officer site visits, signing and lining costs	2,000	2,000
Additional search enquiries
Solicitors and other agency queries per question	40.00	40.00

 

 

Appendix 2– Number of Bays On-Street  

Parking Spaces	2018/19	2019/20	2020/21
On-Street Parking Spaces	37,589	41,384	45,313
Off-Street Parking Spaces	2,240	2,204	2,204
Pay & Display only bays	953	723	611
Permit only bays	22,241	26,504	29,205
Shared bays (permits and Pay & Display)	12,548	12,262	12,545
Disabled bays	829	1,320	*1,512
Other Bays	939	1,392	1,440

 

** Includes disabled bays outside the Controlled Parking Zone

 

 

Appendix 3– Permits Issued by Zone

Resident parking zone and visitor allowance shown in brackets ()	Resident permits on issue as at 01/07/17	Resident permits on issue as at 01/07/18	Resident permits on issue as at 01/07/19	Resident permits on issue as at 01/07/20	Resident permits on issue as at 01/07/21
Preston Park Station, A (50)	634	632	680	652	664
Coldean, B (25) +1*	1,513	968	1,062	873	616
Queen’s Park, C (50)	1,826	1,948	1,977	2399	2551
Moulsecoomb, D (25) +1*	2,540	1,678	1,703	1209	782
Preston Park Station (North), E (50)	203	207	192	214	185
Fiveways, F(50)	892	1,397	1,410	1320	1366
Hollingbury Road, G (50)	100	110	108	100	110
Kemptown & Hospital, H (50)	2,439	2,478	2489	2485	2480
Craven Vale, I (50)	N/A	160	117	138	130
Preston Circus, J (50)	3,817	3,987	3986	3849	4034
Preston Village, K (50)	N/A	265	212	206	208
West Hove, L (50)	N/A	1,319	1,306	1251	1298
Brunswick & Adelaide, M (50)	1,559	1,894	1932	2002	1695
Central Hove, N (50)	4,352	4,540	4609	4563	4678
Goldsmid, O (50)	2,143	2,099	2,053	2140	2184
Area P	N/A	N/A	N/A	458	452
Prestonville, Q (50)	1,053	1,063	1068	1081	1067
Westbourne, R (50)	3,611	3,639	3924	3661	3686
Hanover & Elm Grove, S (50)	N/A	1,844	1909	1247	1402
Hove Station, T (50)	357	351	376	393	402
St Luke's, U (50)	382	420	385	9	1327
Hanover & Elm Grove, V (50)	N/A	2,478	2147	2380	2562
Wish Road, W (50)	1,029	1,018	1068	1052	1050
North Portslade X	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	151
Central Brighton (North), Y (25)	1,741	1,725	1751	1637	1682
Central Brighton (South), Z (25)	1,092	1,101	1084	1050	1022
Total	31,283	37,321	37,548	36369	37784