titlepage/contents pg 1-16 - British Parking Association

108 Chapter 7favoured at peak periods andloading at off-peak periods.A technical assessment of thecompeting demands for space,together with a reasonedjustification for the particular setof priorities being recommended,should be provided. However, incommunicating this assessmentthrough the process ofconsultation, it is important torecognise the political dimensionand the need to make choicesand trade-offs explicit, havingregard to national and regionalpolicy guidance and their otherpolicy concerns.Implementation timingFigure 7.2 outlines the stagesrequired in the introduction of anon-street parking scheme, suchas a controlled parking zone(CPZ). The process ofconsultation and raising publicawareness can be timeconsuming. Best practice is toundertake an initial consultationprior to drawing up detaileddesigns, including a TRO, beforeundertaking a full publicconsultation exercise. This maystill require the TRO to bemodified and re-advertised.When planning a consultationexercise, it is important to avoidschool holidays, especially thesummer, when many people willbe on holiday. If the validity of aconsultation can be challengedsuccessfully, the implementationof the scheme might be deferred,or in the case of a DPE scheme,the Secretary of State couldrefuse an application for aSpecial Parking Area (SPA).Advice on the consultationprocess itself is given in Chapter8.The setting up of a DPE schemecan be equally resourceintensive and a timetable shouldbe drawn up allowing adequatetime for the following steps in theprocedure:● Carrying out a feasibilitystudy;● Financial modelling;● Seeking agreement betweenCounty and District Councilswhere necessary;● Review of all TrafficRegulation Orders;● Application to the Secretaryof State for the necessarypowers; and● Set up time for contractpreparation and tendering, orthe development of in-housesystems, and the recruitmentand training of staff.Having established the basicprogramme and sequence ofactivities, it will be necessary tofit this to the calendar, makingadjustments if necessary to takeaccount of critical seasons andholidays.As with all potentially contentiousschemes, political timing can bea major determinant for theimplementation of demandrestraint or demandmanagement mechanisms.Whilst in the long term theintroduction of a CPZ can provepopular with residents andbusinesses, there can be shorttermhostility to the scheme inthe run-up to and followingimplementation. The sensitivityof elected Members to theintroduction of such a schemecoinciding with local electionsshould not be under estimated.Seasonal timing needs also to beconsidered. The proposedimplementation of a schemerequiring extensive lining workscan be severely disrupted by anextended period of cold, wetweather (paint cannot be appliedto cold, wet or salty surfaces). Toovercome this, thermoplasticmarkings on public roads areused, as these can be applied inlow temperatures. Lining worksin the summer might conflict withlocal trade considerations where,for example in a town with astrong seasonal economy,disruption of the on-streetparking capacity could affect theeconomic viability of a majorsector of the local economy. Ingeneral, April and October arethe best times to start a scheme,with signing and lining thuscarried out in March orSeptember. The caution aboutpolitical timing may beparticularly relevant if local