Southend Central Area Action Plan (SCAAP) - Revised Proposed Submission 2016
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Southend Central Area Action Plan (SCAAP) - Revised Proposed Submission 2016
Policy DS5 - Transport, Access and Public Realm
Representation ID: 2549
Received: 15/12/2016
Respondent: Essex Chambers of Commerce
Legally compliant? No
Sound? No
Essex Chambers of Commerce are the main business organisation in the county and have several hundred members based in and around Southend.
We generally support Southend Borough Council's aspirations for the development of the town and welcome their desire to broaden the economic base of Southend through the development of Southend Airport, the Airport Business Park, and to improve the town centre, including Victoria Avenue. However, we have concerns that an important, and long standing, sector of Southend's economy is likely to be penalised by one key policy proposal, namely the tourism industry and predominantly the seafront traders, and on this basis we would question whether the plan can genuinely be regarded as sound. The policy in question is DS5 - Transport, Access and Public Realm.
We note that the Car Parking Study for the Central Area of Southend (CPS) produced by Steer Davies Gleave, Reference 22958601 November 2016, for the Borough Council identified that there is a clear imbalance in the Southend Central Area parking network at periods of peak demand with car parking to the south of the central area experiencing overcapacity issues, while car parking to the north has available spare capacity. Overall the Study shows that parking areas to the south of Southend Central Area were busiest and exceeded 85% occupancy on one in every ten days between May 2015 and April 2016. (Southend Central Area Action Plan DPD (SCAAP) Revised Proposed Submission - November 2016)
Looking to the future paragraph 2.1 of the CPS states that the "The Southend Local Transport Plan 3 (LTP3): Strategy Document outlines key considerations related to Central Area parking provision. It notes that Central Area parking demand is forecast to grow by 25% by 2021" However despite the early recognition of this forecast in the CPS no further account of this projected growth appears to be taken of it in the overall analysis and the predicted increase in future demand for parking is not accounted for within the strategy.
Paragraph 2.1 of the CPS also states that "The document notes that Southend Central Area has a high level of car parking, which can encourage people to drive to the Central Area rather than using other more sustainable modes"
We believe that for some business operations using "more sustainable modes" is a viable option but would question whether that applies to the tourism and leisure sectors. For them high levels of car parking provision are necessary if not essential. They rely on generating sufficient income in the busiest periods of the year to subsidise those periods when they are not so busy. As such the car parking demand for these busy periods must be met to maximise their customer attraction and if it isn't then it jeopardises their viability for the rest of the year.
Because of the nature of the tourism sector there will of course be days when they are not so busy and consequently the levels of car parking availability appear to be high but in reality these spaces are necessary. This again is recognised in paragraph 2.1 of the CPS which states "The LTP highlights a seasonal shortfall of parking capacity in certain car parks in summer and in December" Any shortfall in parking obviously has the capacity to affect the success or otherwise of businesses in Southend even without the predicted 25% increase in demand that has been predicted.
We are aware that the Stockvale Group have undertaken surveys of their visitors between February 2016 and December 2016. These identified that the majority cam by car (84.7%) with three to four occupants and had visited Southend more than five times in the last twelve months. These results in our opinion clearly show there is a demand for adequate car parking provision within the Central Area South which is where the majority of the tourism related businesses are located.
On this basis we feel that the car parking measures set out in the SCAAP do not meet the future demands of a key sector of the Southend economy, despite the fact that there is a recognition of a growth in parking demand in the future. Such an omission potentially puts at risk the long term viability of this sector. Given that the SCAAP is supposed to be taking a holistic view of the future of the central area we feel this is not reflected in its' parking policy and on this basis is not a sound document for the future development of the town.
Finally we would like to highlight the modifications recommended to the Blackpool Local Plan by the planning inspector who considered it. They were of the view that "Any change in parking provision as a result of major redevelopment must not undermine the resort's ability to accommodate visitor trips" With several existing car parks in Southend identified as potential redevelopment sites, especially the major site at Seaways, we would like to see the same policy applied to the SCAAP.
Essex Chambers of Commerce are the main business organisation in the county and have several hundred members based in and around Southend.
We generally support Southend Borough Council's aspirations for the development of the town and welcome their desire to broaden the economic base of Southend through the development of Southend Airport, the Airport Business Park, and to improve the town centre, including Victoria Avenue. However, we have concerns that an important, and long standing, sector of Southend's economy is likely to be penalised by one key policy proposal, namely the tourism industry and predominantly the seafront traders, and on this basis we would question whether the plan can genuinely be regarded as sound. The policy in question is DS5 - Transport, Access and Public Realm.
We note that the Car Parking Study for the Central Area of Southend (CPS) produced by Steer Davies Gleave, Reference 22958601 November 2016, for the Borough Council identified that there is a clear imbalance in the Southend Central Area parking network at periods of peak demand with car parking to the south of the central area experiencing overcapacity issues, while car parking to the north has available spare capacity. Overall the Study shows that parking areas to the south of Southend Central Area were busiest and exceeded 85% occupancy on one in every ten days between May 2015 and April 2016. (Southend Central Area Action Plan DPD (SCAAP) Revised Proposed Submission - November 2016)
Looking to the future paragraph 2.1 of the CPS states that the "The Southend Local Transport Plan 3 (LTP3): Strategy Document outlines key considerations related to Central Area parking provision. It notes that Central Area parking demand is forecast to grow by 25% by 2021" However despite the early recognition of this forecast in the CPS no further account of this projected growth appears to be taken of it in the overall analysis and the predicted increase in future demand for parking is not accounted for within the strategy.
Paragraph 2.1 of the CPS also states that "The document notes that Southend Central Area has a high level of car parking, which can encourage people to drive to the Central Area rather than using other more sustainable modes"
We believe that for some business operations using "more sustainable modes" is a viable option but would question whether that applies to the tourism and leisure sectors. For them high levels of car parking provision are necessary if not essential. They rely on generating sufficient income in the busiest periods of the year to subsidise those periods when they are not so busy. As such the car parking demand for these busy periods must be met to maximise their customer attraction and if it isn't then it jeopardises their viability for the rest of the year.
Because of the nature of the tourism sector there will of course be days when they are not so busy and consequently the levels of car parking availability appear to be high but in reality these spaces are necessary. This again is recognised in paragraph 2.1 of the CPS which states "The LTP highlights a seasonal shortfall of parking capacity in certain car parks in summer and in December" Any shortfall in parking obviously has the capacity to affect the success or otherwise of businesses in Southend even without the predicted 25% increase in demand that has been predicted.
We are aware that the Stockvale Group have undertaken surveys of their visitors between February 2016 and December 2016. These identified that the majority cam by car (84.7%) with three to four occupants and had visited Southend more than five times in the last twelve months. These results in our opinion clearly show there is a demand for adequate car parking provision within the Central Area South which is where the majority of the tourism related businesses are located.
On this basis we feel that the car parking measures set out in the SCAAP do not meet the future demands of a key sector of the Southend economy, despite the fact that there is a recognition of a growth in parking demand in the future. Such an omission potentially puts at risk the long term viability of this sector. Given that the SCAAP is supposed to be taking a holistic view of the future of the central area we feel this is not reflected in its' parking policy and on this basis is not a sound document for the future development of the town.
Finally we would like to highlight the modifications recommended to the Blackpool Local Plan by the planning inspector who considered it. They were of the view that "Any change in parking provision as a result of major redevelopment must not undermine the resort's ability to accommodate visitor trips" With several existing car parks in Southend identified as potential redevelopment sites, especially the major site at Seaways, we would like to see the same policy applied to the SCAAP.
