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Attached is a letter written by the Parish Council to our member of Parliament, Colin Breed ,in a response to a complaint by two members of the public who are neither resident in or appear on the electoral register of St Sampson.
GOLANT PARKING
St Sampson Parish Council (SSPC) is writing to you regarding the parking in the village of Golant and the charges associated with such parking.
GOLANT DEMOGRAPHICS
Golant has 105 homes with a resident population of circa 220 people. Around 35 % of homes in the village are holiday homes that are either let on a weekly basis or used by the owners to holiday in the village. There are no public transport links and the nearest bus route is 1 ½ miles away. Consequently, practically every household in the village owns at least one vehicle and many two or more. Fowey Harbour Commissioners have 300 river moorings in the Golant area of the River Fowey which are rented to boat owners on an annual basis. Castledore Rowing Club and Fowey River Canoe Club are also headquartered in the village.
HISTORY
SSPC lease from Restormel Borough Council ( RBC ), a small parcel of land adjacent to the railway line at an area known as Golant Halt . A lease agreement drawn up in 1977 for a period of 25 years expired in 2002. This was a lease with Restormel Borough Council (RBC) for a period of 25 years that expired in early 2002. The lease was importantly a fully repairing lease and at an annual rental of £ 5 per annum. The lease area covers a total of 29 parking spaces.
PARISH PLAN
In the year 2000 SSPC recognised the need to produce a parish plan. An open meeting was held in the village hall in November 2001 and a steering group of ten villagers developed a detailed questionnaire that was circulated to all households in the village. The response rate was an encouraging 66 %. The results of this plan were then analysed and presented to a further public meeting held in December 2002 at which parishioners’ comments were invited and a new smaller group then went on to produce the parish plan in 2002. The parish plan was subsequently adopted by SSPC later that year.
The plan, which is in the public domain and may be viewed at www.golant.net , made the following specific comments in relation to parking in the village:
“There is pressure on local lanes and car parking”
“The number of moorings has steadily increased; local feeling is that there are too many”
“The road to the quay at times resembles the M25 on a Friday night”
“Roads and car parking spaces struggle to cope with the number of visitors”
The action plans on transportation included the following:
1) Review double yellow line provision in village
2) Impose 20 mph speed limit within the village
3) Push for 30 mph speed limit in upper village
4) Review lease of quayside car park.
Items 1 2 and 3 were all reviewed and successfully implemented.
Item 4 is the subject of this document and discussed in detail in the paragraphs that follow.
THE LEASE
Negotiations with RBC for the renewal of the car park lease stalled in early 2001due to RBC’s inactivity. SSPC subsequently re-opened negotiations for its renewal in early 2003 and held a number of meetings with RBC which resulted in a proposed rent of £250 per annum (up from £5 per annum). During the public participation that precedes each parish council meeting the council were urged to ensure that they maintained control of the land as it was a valuable resource to the village. This request was repeated at the annual parish meeting. SSPC acknowledge that it was important to renew the lease of the area to ensure that it had control of its own destiny and of this important asset to the village. However it was felt to be unfair to ask the council tax payers to find another £250 per annum to pay the rent of a car park which is predominantly used by tourists and visiting boat owners.
SSPC negotiated with Restormel, initially asking for a non repairing lease. This, we were told, was out of the question and non-negotiable. SSPC did, however, have under the old expired lease a liability to restore the car park to its original condition, which effectively amounted to a liability of up to £7,500 to resurface the area. The council has a precept of circa £1100 per annum at the time and reserves of less than £1000; quite clearly the payment of this sum could not have been made in a single instalment and only over a period of 6 to 8 years by doubling the annual precept.. Lease negotiations subsequently deferred this liability by the signing of a new lease.
SSPC discussed with RBC the alternatives to signing a lease. RBC initially proposed a pay and display scheme on which they would take a 50 % share of any income received but SSPC rejected this as economically unviable. RBC stated that they would consider introducing a residents’ permit scheme at prices similar to those in Fowey. RBC stated that they wished to work with SSPC and provide help and assistance if SSPC decided to introduce their own pay and display scheme. SSPC were then invited by RBC to discuss the working of such a scheme with St Columb Parish Council as they had successfully introduced such a scheme. St Columb indicated to SSPC that they found the scheme to be a success.
We would stress the importance of SSPC retaining control of the car parking area as it is able to decide independently on how to manage the parking within its parish.
Negotiations with RBC continued and finally the terms of a lease were agreed, the key points being as follows:
A 25 year lease with rent reviews every 5 years. No rent review to exceed the annual published RPI.
An initial get out clause of one year by SSPC, and one year’s notice may be given at any time by either party..
The lease at an initial rental of £250 per annum.
The lease to be on a full repair basis to include the cost of resurfacing which is required after 10 years.
The supply by RBC without charge of a pay and display ticket machine with an annual maintenance fee of £500 for the machine to be paid by SSPC.
SSPC to keep all machine income
SSPC to employ a car park attendant and any income from fixed penalty notices issued to be kept by RBC.
RBC to install the machine, provide signage for the car park , re-paint all white lines to clearly identify parking spaces and train a car park attendant. These costs to be paid for by SSPC.
SSPC agreed to the heads of lease agreement in January 2005 and signed the lease agreement with RBC in April 2005.
FINANCIALS
SSPC has by signing this lease incurred an annual expenditure of £250 per annum for lease rent. This was an increase of £ 245 per annum.
SSPC has successfully deferred its liability estimated at £7,500 in respect of resurfacing the car park but still will have to pay this cost at the end of the lease in 2014. It is estimated that this cost will rise to £10,000 by the year 2014.
If SSPC were to introduce pay and display, additional costs incurred would be £500 per annum for business rates and £ 500 for maintenance costs of a pay and display machine plus the additional cost of employing a parking attendant.
The cost basis was therefore as follows:
Without pay and display: £ 1250 per annum ( being £1,000 per annum over 10 years for resurfacing and £250 rent.
With pay and display: £2250 per annum plus employment costs.
The council had monitored car parking activity during the summer of 2004 and produced a financial model for pay and display parking. This estimated that income would exceed £ 4000 per annum. This financial model was approved by SSPC and also reviewed and approved by the council’s auditor.
PAY AND DISPLAY
Based on the above lease agreement and financial model SSPC agreed at its January 2005 meeting to introduce a pay and display parking scheme to the quayside car park. It was agreed that charges would be 70 p per hour, £2.50 for 4 hours, £5 for 24 hours and overnight £2.00. In addition to this SSPC agreed to issue three separate types of annual season pass. The pay and display scheme would run from 1st March to 30th September of each year.
Pass A : Bollard space giving an individual car guaranteed parking space in a specific folding bollard protected space. Applications would be limited to businesses within the parish and home-owners who were full time residents within the village.
Cost £100
Pass B: Parking permit for up to two separately specified vehicles to park providing spaces were available to a maximum of 24 hours in one single stay at a cost of £50. Qualification to be ownership of either a business or a dwelling within the parish
Pass C: As per pass B but applications only accepted from residents on the electoral register at a cost of £30.
SPECIAL CASES
SSPC accepted that there were specific needs in addition to the above and offered passes to the following:
Golant Boat Owners Association - two free of charge passes valid from 6pm each evening to 8 am the following day. The association provides a voluntary boat watch scheme in conjunction with the police that has significantly reduced theft from boats moored on the river.
Sawmills Recording Studio - one type A bollard pass and 1 type B season pass. Although the recording studio is neither in the parish and employs nobody residing within the parish the council wished to recognise that they had been long term users of the car park.
Disabled persons 1 space provided free of charge.
Motorcycles and pedal cycles - a free parking area.
REVIEW 1
SSPC agreed to carry out an initial review of the parking after 3 months and then a further review at the end of the first season.
SSPC held a public meeting at which it sought the views only of residents of the village during June 2005. Some constructive comments were made and SSPC acted on these by lowering the charges as follows:
1 hour 70p to 60p
Up to 4 hrs £2.50 to £2.00
24 hours £5.00 to £4.00
At the request of the quay users association the council also introduced an extension to the maximum stay from 24 hours to 72 hours thus allowing people to enjoy a full weekend’s boating .
REVIEW 2
In November 2005 SSPC met in committee to review the parking and decided to issue a questionnaire to gauge public opinion on the pay and display scheme. A copy of this is attached. In early December SSPC delivered the questionnaire to each household and business in the parish. The questionnaire was also sent to the Sawmills recording studio and the quay users and boat watch associations. A total of 116 questionnaires were delivered
An encouraging response of 51 replies was received. An analysis of these replies is as follows:
Question 1 Continue Pay and Display YES 32 63%
NO 14 27% OTHER 5 10%
Question 2 Bollard space and permit costs
Of the 31 yes replies from above REASONABLE 81%
TOO HIGH 12%
TOO LOW 6%
Question 3 Pay and display fees REASONABLE 58%
TOO HIGH 35%
TOO LOW 7%
On question 3 half of the 35 % who said costs were too high requested either an initial free period of up to 30 minutes or a low cost half hour short stay.
Of the 30 persons who answered question 1 b) relating to funding the car park through an increase in the precept 83 % said NO.
SSPC met in committee in mid January 2006 and carried out a detailed review of the questionnaire and has subsequently decided to introduce a new short stay tariff of 20 pence for thirty minutes. This is in direct response to the wishes of residents who may enjoy a short stroll on the beach at a short stay rate. This new tariff also meets a need requested by the boat owners association and allows their members a short stay thus enabling them to inspect and bale out their boats.
The council also reviewed the tariff in Fowey which is the alternative access to the river and also offers a launching slip for boats. Their charges for the 2006 season start at 80p per hour which is 33 % more expensive than the SSPC charges. Since the meeting season ticket charges at Fowey have also been announced and these are £ 500 per year.
There will be no price increases on the SSPC 2006 tariff which will be the same as the second part of the 2005 season. Season passes A, B and C will also remain unchanged in price. The B and C tickets will be issued on a per household basis rather than a car registration number thus allowing households with multiple cars and a visitor to that house to use the permit.
INCOME AND EXPENDITURE 2005
Unaudited
INCOME Season passes 880 Machine income 3028
TOTAL INCOME 3908
EXPENDITURE Wages 502
Repairs 10
Start up Expenses 870
Rent 250
Maintenance 500
Business Rates 500
TOTAL EXPENSE 2632
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SURPLUS 1276
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SSPC is satisfied with this surplus although constant vandalism to the machine by objectors to the scheme led to considerable machine down time and subsequent loss of income. Sixteen separate acts of vandalism occurred and these included the machine being filled with glue on two occasions. Due to the high level of vandalism there may be additional charge from Restormel for maintenance
SAWMILLS STUDIO
The complaint made to you in regard to the pay and display scheme was made by Mrs Ruth Taylor on behalf of the Sawmills recording studio. We would once again re-iterate that the studio is not in the parish of St Sampson and neither are any of the company’s employees residents of St Sampson parish. SSPC do not believe that they are under any obligation to provide them with either free or paid car parking. Nevertheless we did, as a gesture of goodwill, initially allocate them two spaces in 2005 and have requested a meeting with the owner of the business to discuss a 2006 allocation. It is disappointing to note that the bollard space allocated to them in 2005 remained unused and that the offer of an additional C type pass during the season was rejected by them. The council believes that the bollard space at an annualised cost of 27p per day represents excellent value for money.
There is alternative and additional access to the Sawmills studio by boat from Fowey where there are a number of facilities including a large 500 space pay and display car park, banks, shops and public transport. There is also alternative access to the Sawmills from the Saints way footpath and also by parking in the vicinity of Lanherriot farm and using a public footpath. This route is of equal distance to the Golant quay route. SSPC also wishes you to note that it strongly disapproves of the dangerous practice of the use of the china clay railway line as a pedestrian footpath to Golant from Sawmills by its clients and employees.
CONCLUSION
St Sampson Parish Council believes it has acted in a fair and reasonable manner at all times in introducing pay and display car parking at the quayside car park. SSPC has actively sought and then listened carefully to the opinions of its residents at all times, starting with the parish plan and culminating in the questionnaire it sent out in December 2005.
SSPC has no control over the allocation by Fowey Harbour Commissioners (FHC ) of moorings in the river and the 300 moorings in the Golant area puts extreme pressure on car parking in the village. SSPC requested and received an undertaking from FHC that there will be no further increase in the number of moorings.
SSPC has recognised and acted on the potential resurfacing liability at the end of the original lease for the car park and has now ring fenced any future liability by the creation of an annual reserve of surplus parking income that will enable the council to meet the financial liability for resurfacing costs in or before 2014.
The council has in accordance with the clear wishes of its parishioner’s maintained control of the parking facilities within the village.
The results of the questionnaire, together with the Parish Council’s plans for the car park for 2006 will be announced shortly, but we can advise you that the "pay & display" scheme with limited permits for special cases will recommence on 1st March 2006
ST SAMPSON PARISH COUNCIL 25th JANUARY 2006
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