‘Lesson learned’ on scrutiny of new West Sussex parking plan

Councillors have agreed that ‘lessons have been learned’ over the way West Sussex County Council’s new On-Street Parking Framework was scrutinised.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Three days before Christmas, Joy Dennis, cabinet member for highways & transport, approved a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) framework and a three-year CPZ development programme.

Between them, they will manage and implement on-street parking controls in various locations across the county.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

While mostly agreeing with what was laid out in the framework, there were concerns from some councillors about how the decision was made.

West Sussex County Council has put together a new on-street parking frameworkWest Sussex County Council has put together a new on-street parking framework
West Sussex County Council has put together a new on-street parking framework

At a meeting of the communities, highways & environment scrutiny committee on Wednesday (January 19), Chris Oxlade (Lab, Bewbush & Ifield West) said: “It seems odd having it on the agenda today when the decision has already been made.”

Mr Oxlade’s concerns centred around the work of a Task and Finish Group which was set up in September to consider the proposals.

The cross-party group met in private, then sent their recommendations to Mrs Dennis before she made her decision.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The recommendations were not returned to the scrutiny committee before the decision was made, as is usually the case.

The meeting was essentially told that this was about being ‘fleet of foot’ and making sure there would be no delay to the decision-making process.

And they were assured that the proposals had been properly scrutinised, including getting the views of the district and borough councils.

The issue was discussed at a scrutiny meeting in March 2020 where the agenda informed members that the Task and Finish Group would meet ‘informally’ before reporting directly to Mrs Dennis.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

None of the committee – which did not at that time include Mr Oxlade – raised an issue with that.

Ninesh Edwards, senior adviser to the committee, explained how that meeting had been the time to ask for the Task and Finish Group to meet in public.

But he added: “On reflection, perhaps we didn’t draw members’ attention enough to that line on the agenda.”

Chairman David Britton (Con, Littlehampton Town) added: “It is a lesson learned, most definitely, and I’m very keen that we ask the question in future, of every Task and Finish Group that we commission, whether it’s a public or private matter.”