The pressure for on-street parking in the area has led to limited parking options for residents, often made worse by the presence of commercial vehicles and those from neighbouring areas. The proposed parking zone seeks to alleviate the strain on available parking spaces by prioritising resident parking.
This would be done by introducing restrictions on non-permit holders to enhance parking turnover and maximise opportunities for residents. This is considered as part of the council’s overall programme of consultation on residents parking zones, and the area is virtually surrounded by other controlled parking zones.
Many residents have voiced their frustrations with commercial vehicles and spaces being occupied by people from neighbouring areas, leaving limited options for those living in the neighbourhood. To address these issues, the introduction of a resident parking zone has been deemed a potential solution to better manage the parking space among the residents.
The proposal that is being considered recommends that there is a restriction of parking for a maximum of two hours for non-permit holders to discourage long-term parking by non-residents’ vehicles. This would increase the number of available spaces and maximise parking opportunities for residents. Visitors to people living in the area will also be able to obtain visitors permits to park for longer.
Initial feedback from an informal questionnaire survey highlighted overwhelming support for the introduction of a permit parking scheme, with 246 respondents expressing their approval, while 117 respondents opposed the idea. However, the formal consultation via the Traffic Regulation Order revealed a majority in favour of the proposed scheme just from the southern area.
It could be possible to create a smaller zone, but this would then potentially cause displacement into the area not included in the zone. With this in mind, and the need to proactively address potential future parking demands arising from surrounding housing developments, it will be recommended to establish the resident parking zone across the entire proposed new zone in Stamshaw North area.
Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson, Cabinet Member for Transport said, “I’ve received numerous complaints from residents about parking difficulties in residential areas. I look forward to discussing ways to address this, such as implementing residential parking zones in areas with a genuine need, at my decision meeting.”
A report will be presented to recommend the parking zone is implemented at the Transport public decision meeting scheduled for 10 August.