News - November 2018
Changes to parking restrictions in the Controlled Parking Zone
In September 2017, the council wrote to all households directly affected by proposed changes to the parking restrictions in the Wynchgate subzone of the Southgate CPZ. This covers Wynchgate and Queen Elizabeth's Drive between The Bourne and the junction of the two roads, together with Raleigh Way.
This was supposed to be a consultative process. All the letters received objected to some or all aspects of the scheme, with a petition going in from Wynchgate residents in the area most affected, making a counter-proposal for a 24 hour ban. The GRA submitted a lengthy letter of objection and noted that the consultation document and associated maps were hard to follow, thus inadequate for purpose.
However, the council official concerned has rejected all objections and the plan is for the changes to go ahead as originally proposed. According to his letter, the council has discharged its duty by conscientiously (is that a misprint for condescendingly?) considering all the objections and just happening to find them all ill-founded or "overstated". What, you may think, is the point of a consultation and taking on board absolutely none of the points made?
The numbers of individual responses received is given in the council's report. There were 24 in total. The implication is that other residents are not particularly bothered. More likely, in my view, that they were struggling to understand a very unclear consultation. However, it is true that individual letters of objection count the most. If you object, it is unwise just to sign a petition or to rely on others (including the residents' association) to do the job for you.
So what is proposed? This is complicated and varies by area. It is explained much better in the final report than in the consultation, one reason why the original consultation was so inept. In summary:-
i) The top end of Queen Elizabeth's Drive actually gets a tougher restriction and there is some tidying up around corners and the QED traffic island.
ii) The top end of Wynchgate sees parking allowed for the very first time - for all but 5 hours per week. Parking on both sides of the road directly opposite each other will not be allowed.
iii) In the other areas affected, parking on both sides of the road directly opposite each other will be permitted for all but 5 hours per week, rather than just early mornings, evenings and Sundays.
iv) No changes are proposed further down Wynchgate and Queen Elizabeth's Drive, where the regime proposed under (iii) is already in force
Residents in area (iv) were not consulted as the restrictions outside their homes would not be changed. However, they are likely to be affected if traffic is obstructed by the changes.
It is blatantly obvious that large cars, never mind fire engines and ambulances, would have difficulty getting through some of the gaps left if two vehicles parked opposite each other.
The council's argument is that people generally do not park that way in area (iv) where it is already possible to do so for most of the time - though the signage is so bad that most people probably think the single yellow lines are in operation for longer than they really are - or elsewhere in the zone in the evenings and on Sundays. But can you really draw conclusions from the evenings, when parking space is plentiful, to Saturdays, when it will be scarce? From an area remote from facilities to one nearer the station/shops/church/gym? From residents who know the issues to non-residents who are off to the football?
On what planet do all drivers park considerately? If they did, why would the council be bothering with putting double yellow lines on corners and around the QED island? The parking that I have seen on the corner of Raleigh Way must have been a mirage.
Good luck getting a fire engine through there!
The supposed justification for the change is that drivers claim to be have been confused by the different restrictions. Well, they would say that, wouldn't they? No evidence (such as number of appeals) has been presented to justify this claim. An additional claimed justification for allowing parking at the top end of Wynchgate is that it will slow down traffic but it doesn't seem to work anywhere near the bend in QED. Why doesn't the council pay attention to the real safety issues in our area rather than messing about with a CPZ regime which, as far as are concerned, works?
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