Decision details

RESOLVED that:

i.       The Committee notes the options on charging tariffs for The Avenue, High Street, Braccan Walk and Weather Way car parks from 1st October.

ii.      The Committee approves their preferred option as detailed in Table 2 Option 1 set out in the report below.

iii.    The tariff increase at Bracknell & Wokingham College from £2.00 to £2.50 per stay is agreed.

The fees for The Avenue, High Street, Braccan Walk and Weather Way car parks are

reviewed annually in line with the anniversary of the opening of The Lexicon. If the

recommendation in this report is agreed and assuming that there is no year-on-year

changes to the volume and dwell time of visitors based on 22/23 usage, the

proposed increases will generate an additional maximum of £376,712 per annum

(High Street calculations are reduced to 20% of current based on it closing on

31st October 2023).

1.     The Council could maintain the current charges for The Avenue, High Street,

Braccan Walk and Weather Way car parks. However this option is not recommended in the current budget circumstances as increasing current rates could generate additional income of up to £376,712 per annum based on 22/23 usage. In 22/23, usage rates were down approximately 12% from pre-covid levels, there is no indication that they will return and therefore usage in 22/23 should be considered as the new normal.

2.     If tariffs are not increased this year and increased in 12 months time in October 2024 then the increase will need to be greater at that point in order to rebalance income which may be considered negatively by the customer.

3.     The Avenue car park is by far the busiest car park in town and at peak periods can sometimes reach capacity with some level of queuing. In order to better manage supply and demand across the whole estate the daily tariffs at Braccan Walk could be set at a slightly lower level so as to reduce demand at the Avenue at peak periods. Clearly this would have a negative effect financially.

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