The following question was asked by Grace Strickland

Question: With Persimmons ready to build Phase 9 on Billacombe Fields, which in 1989 were dedicated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest through the identification of rare flora and fauna, what protection is PCC installing to guard these plants? Remembering the developers ‘accidently’ demolished the initially preserved Plymstock Lime Kiln.

Persimmon Homes have a current pre-application for Phase 9 in with the Council. The reference number is 24/00979/MJR and can be viewed via the Council’s website. The pre-application is still being considered and shows the area of the pre-application to the north of the SSSI and within the quarry walls. The SSSI is located within Billacombe Green and is outside the extent of Persimmon Homes’ original outline consent and Phase 9. Consultation has taken place with Natural Infrastructure officers. The case officer will consider any impacts upon the SSSI as the pre-application enquiry progresses.

The following question was asked by Mr Andrew Hill

Question: What steps have or are being taken to ensure computer software and hardware in car park machines and the process by which information is transmitted to hand-held devices used by enforcement officers is free of bugs, errors and defects so as to avoid another Bates v POL type scandal?

Response: Thank you for the question. The use of computer software across parking services and parking facilities has been commonplace for over 25 years. Our ongoing commitment to innovation has delivered continuous improvements, where now it is much easier to access services, such as applying for residents permit 24/7 or where, in car parks, you no longer need to display tickets in your car and so remove the worry of receiving a fine for not displaying a ticket correctly. As you highlight, these systems are key to many of the services we deliver, and we need to ensure that they work correctly. To that end, all these systems incorporate various health monitoring, systems that continuously check and show us, 24/7, that they are working correctly. Furthermore, our parking services are subject to annual auditing. As with technology, whilst we have all these checks and balances in place, there could be factors that impact service delivery. One such extreme example, in 2024, involved issues with banking systems. Whilst only brief, the Council was impacted along with many shops and businesses in Plymouth; however, aside of some banking payments at this time, all of our core parking systems and services operated without further issue.