Issue - meetings

To receive the Airport Car Parking report.

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Administration presented the report to the Committee, which set out the position relating to passenger car parking issues associated with Stansted Airport.

Members discussed the various elements that contributed to car parking problems in the area surrounding Stansted Airport. In particular, lawful on-street “fly-parking” where residential loss of amenity was an issue, and unlawful changes of use of private land in breach of planning control.  There was a discussion about planning enforcement and the introduction of parking controls.

The Chairman asked whether the Council had sufficient resources to fully investigate this issue.

The Planning Policy Officer said that money to deal with fly-parking had been made available by the airport operator under the 2003 S106 agreement and the 2008 unilateral undertaking that related to previous airport expansion.  Furthermore the proposed Local Network Fund that was part of the draft S106 agreement for expansion to 43 million passengers per annum was a resource that could be allocated to alleviate parking issues around the airport.

The Chairman said research and evidence were required to identify parking hotspots around the airport. He asked officers to report back in six months’ time with an update on how the airport car parking strategy was moving forward.

The meeting ended at 9.10pm.