Proposed Changes To Controlled Parking Zones Prove Controversial

Published on: 19 Mar, 2013
Updated on: 19 Mar, 2013

Cars parked in Wilderness Road Onslow Village

Changes to ‘Controlled Parking Zones’ (CZPs) in three areas of Guildford are to be taken to the next stage of consultation despite the objections of some affected residents.

The Local Committee, which meets quarterly and comprises councillors from Surrey County Council (SCC) and Guildford Borough Council (GBC), agreed unanimously to take the proposals to the next stage. The three zones are: the area to the east of G Live, Onslow Village and St. Luke’s development.

Not everyone is happy with the proposals. A group of Onslow Village residents were vocal in their opposition, claiming that the council is ignoring the fact that consultations showed that they were only supported by a minority of residents in some of the roads that will have extra restrictions applied.

During the debate Cllr David Goodwin (Lib Dem, Friary & St Nicolas (GBC) and Guildford SW (SCC)) accused the Surrey Advertiser of “very idle journalism”. Errors were contained in their lead article on the subject on Friday, March 8th that was said Cllr Goodwin, “full of inaccuracies” regarding the cost of residents parking permits.

The parking restriction change proposals have been prompted by complaints received from residents about parking on their residential roads.

Residents in the Dene Road area have been complaining for over a year about the impact of parking associated with G Live events and other evening activity and Sunday shopping. It has restricted their ability to park close to their homes, many of which contain no parking facilities. The consultation with residents in the 538 affected homes produced only 26 responses (5%). Of the 26, ten supported the proposed changes, ten supported the changes with some amendment and six opposed them.

In the area around St Luke’s Square on the site of the old St Luke’s Hospital, off Warren Road, uncontrolled parking around junctions and bends has caused safety, access and traffic flow problems and restricted access for emergency and public service vehicles. 32 responses (26%) were received from the 125 properties affected. 17 supported the changes, 14 supported them with some amendment and  one opposed the changes.

Similar issues of safety, access and traffic flow have been causing concern in Onslow Village. Some residents feel that the problems have been exacerbated by the introduction of controlled parking in other areas which has caused a displacement of parked vehicles to roads that are without restrictions. Consultation here was conducted in two phases. In the first phase 266 (53%) of affected properties responded. 43% disagreed with the proposals. But in some roads the level of disagreement was high: 67% in Windsor Close; 65% in Manor Way; 57% in High View Road; and 54% in Vicarage Gate.

The proposed changes are:

Area to the east of G Live (including Eastgate Gardens, Denmark Road, Dene Road, parts of London Road and Epsom Road):  It is proposed that there be an extension of the pay and display or resident permit parking from Monday to Saturday 8.30am to 6pm to Monday to Sunday 8.30am to 9pm. There will be similar time constraints for parking on single yellow lines.

St Luke’s Square (including St Catherine’s Park, St Bartholomew’s Court and St Thomas’s Mews): the introduction of double yellow lines at road junctions.

Onslow Village: an extension of the current CZP to cover Wilderness Road, Manor Way, The Square, Powell Close, Litchfield Way, Orchard Road, Bannisters Road, Vicarage Gate, West Meads and Ellis Avenue. This would require a residents parking permit scheme to be introduced in the new area. Currently charges are £50 per annum for the first permit and for the second £80 per annum. Up to 30 £2 visitor scratch cards could also be purchased for visitors needing to park longer than 30 minutes. Double yellow lines at road junctions and passing places in the area would also be introduced. This would, it was admitted, decrease the amount of space available for legal parking.

Following the Local Committee decision to proceed to the next stage of consultation with residents the process will proceed as follows:

1. Public exhibitions at local venues for local residents and other intersted parties to discuss details of the proposals. Expected June/July:
2. Councillors and council officers to review proposals in the light of the feedback gained from the exhibitions:
3. Any resulting changes/amendments to the proposals to be agreed:
4. Formal advertisement of the final proposals in the local media. Expected around the end of this year;
5. Consideration of any further feedback;
6. Report back to the Local Committee;
7. If agreed by the committee implementation could be expected early next year (2014)

Mats Willingson, an Onslow resident who attended the Local Committee meeting and is objecting to further inclusion of certain Onslow Roads in the proposals,  said: “They have had a consultation and asked ‘Do you want it or not?’. It should go forward on the basis that these roads are included and these roads are excluded, according to the results of the consultation.Instead they seem to be working on the premise that we are going ahead with this for all the roads regardless, which is clearly wrong.

“This is typical politicians smoke and mirrors. There is no doubt an agenda somewhere. This is so unprofessional and there is so much arrogance involved in this. They have consulted residents but are now doing the opposite of what those residents in certain roads have said they want.

“There was no proper debate at the meeting. No questions allowed to be asked and none raised by any councillor, even though it was pointed out that certain roads had voted against instating the CPZ. Just totally unprofessional.

“They appear to think that the local residents are unable to realise there might be the risk of extra displaced parking if our road is not included in a new controlled zone. We the mere ‘common folk’ of Onslow know our roads well and are quite able to consider the risks involved.

Cllr Tony Phillips (Lib Dem, Onslow) said: “I would like to stress than when these proposals go out for further consultation it will be the final chance for residents to comment. So I would like to really encourage everyone to make their views known.

“We will take all views into account before making a final decision but where some residents want the parking controls and others don’t it is going to be extremely difficult.

“If during the further consultation everyone in a certain road says, ‘Over my dead body, we don’t want it!’ we have an opportunity to take that road out, as long as the residents realise that might mean that more cars get parked in their road if the other roads have more restrictions introduced.”

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