COMMENTS/QUESTIONS REGARDING PARKING ZONE PROPOSAL IN LLOYD PARK AREA
I have arranged my comments against the paragraphs in the public consultation booklet with a synopsis of the relevant paragraph.
BACKGROUND
At the end of 2008 LP & WA zones were introduced. Since then complaints have been received about severe parking congestion.
Q. If this is true why haven’t they amended the LP & WA zones as is stated under Monitoring the scheme at the end of the public consultation booklet?
PARKING SURVEYS
The volume of daytime parking has lessened in the LP & WA zones. Over a third of vehicles parked during the day MAY not belong to residents in the proposed zone. Many residents find it difficult to park and lack of parking spaces causes poor/dangerous parking.
Q1. Where do the cars from the LP & WA zones park now?
Q2. How did the surveyors come to the conclusion that a 3rd of cars parked during the day are not from the neighbourhood?
Q3. Does this not show that the parking problems have been significantly increased due to the introduction of the LP & WA zones.
Q4. How many residents have problems parking during the day?
Q5. If resident parking is a problem at night it raises 3 main questions: -
(a). Who apart from residents are parking in the area at night?
(b). As all proposed times are during the day how will residents benefit at night?
(c). Are residents from surrounding CPZ’s parking long term out of their zone’s?
Q6. How will a CPZ increase available parking spaces at night?
CONSULTATION IN YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD
The aim of the scheme is to ease parking during the day. There is a risk that if you do not sign up you will suffer from displaced parking.
Q1. How will a zone benefit at night?
Q2. Is the threat of displaced parking an implied blackmail?
Q3. Are surrounding neighbourhoods who may be affected being surveyed?
ADDITIONAL CONSULTATION
The council don’t want to remove the LP & WA zones as the majority of responses these areas were in favour of a CPZ.
Q1. Why was no say given to surrounding zones on the implementation of the LP & WA zones?
Q2. Why was the LP zone introduced for 8am – 9pm 7 days a week.
ROAD SAFETY, TRAFFIC AND PARKING
When an “unreasonable” level of parking congestion takes place dangerous parking could cause delays to emergency vehicles and buses. A CPZ COULD make parking easier.
Q1. What does unreasonable level of parking congestion mean?
Q2. What bus routes are there in the area that are affected by parking?
Q3. If a vehicle is blocking emergency services is this not a contravention of obstruction laws?
WHAT IS A RESIDENT PARKING SCHEME
People Commuting to the area or who live outside the area will no longer be able to park. Your permit is valid only in the zone where you live.
Q1.Who are these people that commute into the area and for what?
Q2. I live in Waltham Forest pay my taxes to Waltham Forest so why can’t I park in Waltham Forest.
Q3. I live in E17 my movements will now be restricted by a CPZ line. Is this an invasion of civil liberties?
HOW DOES A RESIDENT PARKING SCHEME WORK?
The aim is to make it easier for local residents & businesses to find parking spaces by preventing commuters and long staying non residents from parking. The council aims to provide as many parking spaces as possible.
Q1.Yet again will a CPZ make the parking easier for residents & businesses?
Q2. What businesses are there in the area?
Q3. Who are these commuters & long staying non-residents? Are they from surrounding CPZ’s?
Q4. Do the council really provide as many parking spaces as possible?
PERMITS
It can only be used in your zone. The annual cost depends on how many cars you have & the CO2 emissions.
Q1. Why can’t I park over the road if it is in another zone?
Q2. If the aim of the council is to ease parking, why does CO2 emissions come into it?
Q3. To ease parking shouldn’t the length of the vehicle be more important?
PERMIT CHARGES AND VISITOR PERMIT FEES.
If there is a surplus in parking income, the council can spend it on transport related improvements. The council is reviewing permit charges & the possibility of free visitor parking.
Q1. Why should there be a surplus?
Q2. If there is a surplus why can’t it be repaid to residents?
Q3. Why should my family have to pay to visit me?
Q4. Why should I pay to park in the road I have parked in for 28 years?
Q5. Why when the council is in the process of reviewing permits is this proposal being made?
EXEMPTIONS
Permits are not required for motorbikes & parking on your own property.
Q1. Do motorbikes not cause parking congestion and some have bigger engines than my car?
Q2. Why should people in poorer areas who can’t afford properties with off street parking be penalised?
OPERATING HOURS AND DAYS
Q1. Why have we not been offered the same parking times as the LP & WA zones?
Q2. Are you planning to change the time in the LP & WA zones?
Q3. Will the 3 zones be amalgamated?
DECISION
The results of the consultation will be presented to councillors
Q1. Will the results be published to residents?
MONITORING THE SCHEME
The council will monitor the scheme. If surrounding areas experience an increase in displaced parking then amendments MAY be made within the 1st 12 months
Q1. Why did this not apply when the LP & WA zones were introduced?
Q2. Is this why the proposed new zone residents were made aware of this opportunity over 12 months after the LP & WA zones were introduced?
Thursday 11 February 2010
Saturday 6 February 2010
Dropin sessions
I have attended both of the drop-in sessions in Penrhyn Hall. Both sessions I would best describe as shambolic.
The 1st session had 2 council officers but no councillors. Today's session had 3 councillors + an extra council officer who, I guess, attended due to the strength of feeling expressed by members of the public at the 1st meeting.
Apart from expressing my own concerns I spent a lot of time listening to other residents views (I particularly found the views of the pensioners concerning as they feel trapped).
Residents from different roads had different issues but there were some consistent messages.
1. Parking is a problem in the area particularly after 7:00 at night.
2. The parking situation has worsened since the introduction of the LP & WA zones.
3. There is inadequate parking space for the residents in the area.
4. Introduction of a CPZ would not resolve the issues.
5. Residents are frightened to go out in their cars at night as they will not be able to park on their return.
6. Costs for permits would reduce family and friends visiting.
My opinion is that neither the councillors or council officers could reassure residents on these questions. All they keep saying is fill in your survey, which I fully agree with, but I feel there are a lot more questions than just whether we want a CPZ or not.
On a slightly different note, on the way to and from these sessions I noticed how many available spaces are available before 7:00 at night.
The more worrying thing that I noticed was a number of vehicles parked in the proposed zone that had expired permits from surrounding CPZ's. This is the displaced parking caused by the council's previously introduced CPZ's and it is getting worse as these drivers are now not willing to pay to park in their own zones.
The 1st session had 2 council officers but no councillors. Today's session had 3 councillors + an extra council officer who, I guess, attended due to the strength of feeling expressed by members of the public at the 1st meeting.
Apart from expressing my own concerns I spent a lot of time listening to other residents views (I particularly found the views of the pensioners concerning as they feel trapped).
Residents from different roads had different issues but there were some consistent messages.
1. Parking is a problem in the area particularly after 7:00 at night.
2. The parking situation has worsened since the introduction of the LP & WA zones.
3. There is inadequate parking space for the residents in the area.
4. Introduction of a CPZ would not resolve the issues.
5. Residents are frightened to go out in their cars at night as they will not be able to park on their return.
6. Costs for permits would reduce family and friends visiting.
My opinion is that neither the councillors or council officers could reassure residents on these questions. All they keep saying is fill in your survey, which I fully agree with, but I feel there are a lot more questions than just whether we want a CPZ or not.
On a slightly different note, on the way to and from these sessions I noticed how many available spaces are available before 7:00 at night.
The more worrying thing that I noticed was a number of vehicles parked in the proposed zone that had expired permits from surrounding CPZ's. This is the displaced parking caused by the council's previously introduced CPZ's and it is getting worse as these drivers are now not willing to pay to park in their own zones.
Tuesday 2 February 2010
Initial post
"I struggle to park in my road"
I think most drivers in the Lloyd park area have said this at one time or another, indeed tonight I have spent another 10 minutes finding somewhere to park a few minutes walk away.
So what is the solution? Is it a CPZ? Is there an alternative? What can we do now?
I freely admit that I don't know the answer to the 1st question, however after deep consideration I have come to the following conclusions about the other questions.
Will a CPZ cure the parking problem?
As the parking problem is at it's worst after 7:00pm and a CPZ only covers daytime, the answer is clearly no.
Marten Road where I live has 92 houses and by my calculation spaces for approximately 80 vehicles. So if every residency had 1 vehicle (some have none but some have at least 3) there would not be enough parking spaces for all those that purchased a permit.
Brettenham Rd. and other roads with a high number of maisonettes and flats have worse problems. Another way that a CPZ would not work.
The council claim the CPZ will stop commuters into the area but who are the "commuters into the area" that the CPZ is planned to stop?
We have no local train stations, shopping areas, and very few businesses in the area.
Is there an alternative?
In the consultation document the council claims to provide as many parking spaces as possible. Is this really true?
There are lots of areas I can see that could be utilised for parking including garage space that has been abandoned and is being ignored!
So what can we do now?
After driving around the block 3 times tonight it is clear that aproximately 20% of parking space is lost due to the gaps left between parked vehicles. If drivers parked closer to the next parked car the problem would go away.
CONCLUSION
If I paid my £45 a year I could not guarantee a parking space.
Who would benefit other than the council?
We need to park more considerately.
The council is willing to take our money but are not willing to provide sufficient parking.
FURTHER QUESTIONS
Why should anyone have to pay to have their family visit?
Is a 3 week period reasonable to allow public debate?
How many surveys have been delivered and at what cost?
How many replies are required to make a decision?
Will the decision be based on the replies?
Will the number of non replies be counted as a yes or no vote?
Will there be public "Town Hall" style meetings to discuss/debate the proposal?
Why is this consultation process taking place now when the council voted for a review of CPZ charges on the 17th December 2009?
Why is the Public Consultation documentation purely focused on the introduction of a CPZ and not the issue of parking as a whole?
Will surrounding areas be consulted about the potential for their roads being clogged by displacement of parking from the proposed CPZ?
Does this consultation process conform to government guidelines?
Why does the LP zone run 7 days a week 13 hours a day?
Why were we not surveyed on the same option as the LP zone?
Why weren't the recently introduced LP & WA zones reviewed as they caused an "increase in displaced parking". In the public consultation document it says under "monitoring the scheme (last paragraph)" this will happen but in the 1st & 2nd paragraphs of the consultation document it freely admits that the introduction of the new LP & WA zones have contributed to the problem. So why weren't they reviewed?
I think most drivers in the Lloyd park area have said this at one time or another, indeed tonight I have spent another 10 minutes finding somewhere to park a few minutes walk away.
So what is the solution? Is it a CPZ? Is there an alternative? What can we do now?
I freely admit that I don't know the answer to the 1st question, however after deep consideration I have come to the following conclusions about the other questions.
Will a CPZ cure the parking problem?
As the parking problem is at it's worst after 7:00pm and a CPZ only covers daytime, the answer is clearly no.
Marten Road where I live has 92 houses and by my calculation spaces for approximately 80 vehicles. So if every residency had 1 vehicle (some have none but some have at least 3) there would not be enough parking spaces for all those that purchased a permit.
Brettenham Rd. and other roads with a high number of maisonettes and flats have worse problems. Another way that a CPZ would not work.
The council claim the CPZ will stop commuters into the area but who are the "commuters into the area" that the CPZ is planned to stop?
We have no local train stations, shopping areas, and very few businesses in the area.
Is there an alternative?
In the consultation document the council claims to provide as many parking spaces as possible. Is this really true?
There are lots of areas I can see that could be utilised for parking including garage space that has been abandoned and is being ignored!
So what can we do now?
After driving around the block 3 times tonight it is clear that aproximately 20% of parking space is lost due to the gaps left between parked vehicles. If drivers parked closer to the next parked car the problem would go away.
CONCLUSION
If I paid my £45 a year I could not guarantee a parking space.
Who would benefit other than the council?
We need to park more considerately.
The council is willing to take our money but are not willing to provide sufficient parking.
FURTHER QUESTIONS
Why should anyone have to pay to have their family visit?
Is a 3 week period reasonable to allow public debate?
How many surveys have been delivered and at what cost?
How many replies are required to make a decision?
Will the decision be based on the replies?
Will the number of non replies be counted as a yes or no vote?
Will there be public "Town Hall" style meetings to discuss/debate the proposal?
Why is this consultation process taking place now when the council voted for a review of CPZ charges on the 17th December 2009?
Why is the Public Consultation documentation purely focused on the introduction of a CPZ and not the issue of parking as a whole?
Will surrounding areas be consulted about the potential for their roads being clogged by displacement of parking from the proposed CPZ?
Does this consultation process conform to government guidelines?
Why does the LP zone run 7 days a week 13 hours a day?
Why were we not surveyed on the same option as the LP zone?
Why weren't the recently introduced LP & WA zones reviewed as they caused an "increase in displaced parking". In the public consultation document it says under "monitoring the scheme (last paragraph)" this will happen but in the 1st & 2nd paragraphs of the consultation document it freely admits that the introduction of the new LP & WA zones have contributed to the problem. So why weren't they reviewed?
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