To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 3 December 2010.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 3 December 2010 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence had been received from Mr P Duigan and Mrs D Irving.

To note whether the Chairman proposes to accept any item as urgent business.

There was none.

Members are asked at this stage to declare any interests that they may have in the following items on the Agenda. 

The Members’ Code of Conduct requires that declarations include the nature of the interest, and whether it is a personal or prejudicial interest.

There was none.

To discuss comments received.

Teresa Smith, Committee Officer advised that Rory Ringer, Elections & Scrutiny Manager was not able to attend the meeting.

Both Officers had visited car parks in Swaffham on 14 January, and she circulated at the meeting their Observation Sheet, and advised Members that the original notes produced by Mark Broughton the former Scrutiny Officer and Councillors had been found.

There did not seem to be any significant problems in Swaffham apart from parking in Lynn Street where the car park surface had pot-holes and signs in poor condition due to being covered in mildew.

The Licensing Team would provide more feedback to the Officers following conversations they had had with them with regard to the fact that there were only 2 spaces for taxis in front of the main bus stop at Pedlars.

The Chairman advised that there was extra free space now available that could be used at the 6^th Form Centre.

A Councillor felt that there were not enough disabled parking spaces in Swaffham.

The Committee Officer circulated an up to date Summary of Stakeholder Views on Parking in Swaffham which included comments from Necton and Narborough Parish Councils.

There had been a response from a member of public on marking spaces in a herring-bone fashion to make parking easier for drivers, which had been considered by the Group in the past.  David Green, Corporate Programme & Project Manager and Anthony Wright, Building Services Manager would be contacted to provide reasons ‘for and against’ the herring-bone markings.

To note the arrangements for the next meeting on Tuesday 25January 2011 at 7pm in the Town Hall, Swaffham and to discuss the framework for that meeting.

There had been very good coverage on Parking in Swaffham by the press.  Only two people had signed up thus far to attend the Public Consultation meeting.  David Green, Corporate Programme & Project Manager and Anthony Wright, Building Services Manager would not be present, and it was not known if there would be a representative from the Police.

If any further responses were received, the Committee Officer said she would email them to the Members.

The Chairman of the Parking Task and Finish Group would Chair the Public Consultation meeting, there would be a presentation and then the meeting would be opened to the floor for responses.

It was felt by all Committee Members that rather than hold another meeting as scheduled on 8 February, comments, responses and recommendations would be considered after the Public Consultation had closed, and if matters could be dealt with on that evening, the 8 February meeting might be cancelled, but a final decision on that would be taken after 25 February.

Recommendations would be put forward to the Overview and Scrutiny Commission on 24 March.

It was felt that Dereham would be the next area that the Group focused on.  A very extensive walk-about had already been undertaken which had been attended by two members from Norfolk County Council, and the Committee Officer confirmed she was in possession of previous notes on this.

One Councillor had received comments back from constituents about what action had been taken following the review of parking in Atteleborough, as it seemed that nothing had been done, and he asked that it be ascertained when action would be undertaken.  The Committee Officer agreed to look into this.