A new crackdown is poised to come into effect to cut even more free parking spaces close to Newbury railway station.
In February, West Berkshire Council started charging for parking in Station Road, creating chaos in nearby streets as commuters scrambled for free spaces.
Residents in Chesterfield Road, Howard Road, Newtown Road, Prospect Place, and Porchester Road complained to the council that they couldn’t park outside their homes. Now, the district council is about to bring in a resident parking scheme, thereby cutting free parking to just 36 spaces.
Commuters have pleaded with the council to stall any further restrictions until various Newbury Vision projects have been completed, as the town has currently lost a third of all parking spaces.
But fed-up residents are pushing for action, and with highways councillor David Betts due to decide next week on the proposal, it looks likely that commuters may have to start looking further afield.
Residents in Chesterfield Road, Howard Road, Newtown Road, Prospect Place, and Porchester Road complained to the council that they couldn’t park outside their homes. Now, the district council is about to bring in a resident parking scheme, thereby cutting free parking to just 36 spaces.
I'm not sure about all these roads but the residents of at least one road has turned down the offer of residents permits. I won't say which in case this brings more unwanted cars parking in the road! I think that in light of this decision and noticeably more alien cars in the road, the residents may well change their minds.
I'm not sure about all these roads but the residents of at least one road has turned down the offer of residents permits.
I used to live in a road that really only had a parking problem in the evenings - there were simply too many residents' cars to fit. The WBC solution - a residents' parking scheme. I couldn't believe it, I was to be expected to pay for a permit, with no imrpovement to the parking situation as everyone else would have to get a permit as well. I moved.
I used to live in a road that really only had a parking problem in the evenings - there were simply too many residents' cars to fit. The WBC solution - a residents' parking scheme. I couldn't believe it, I was to be expected to pay for a permit, with no imrpovement to the parking situation as everyone else would have to get a permit as well. I moved.
What would have been your solution to the residents of a road owning too many vehicles to fit on that road?
What would have been your solution to the residents of a road owning too many vehicles to fit on that road?
My solution, even though you didn't ask me would be to let them get on with it and advise them (assuming I am WBC) that if they couldn't deal with the situation amongst themselves, I could sell each house one parking space.
Whichever way you look at it someone's stuffed aren't they? The residents can't park outside their house as and when they want, even though the road doesn't actually belong to them. Or. The commuters who are trying to keep their cars off the road and out of congested cities, are not only hit with high train fares but also expensive parking charges on top, plus the inconvenience of hunting down an available parking space. I guess they will just have to leave the roads free and nab all the spaces in the car parks before anyone else gets a chance.
I wouldn't like to make that call would any of you? Good luck David Betts, you may find tossing a coin your best bet. Either way you're a marked man.
My solution, even though you didn't ask me would be to let them get on with it and advise them (assuming I am WBC) that if they couldn't deal with the situation amongst themselves, I could sell each house one parking space.
That's kind of how parking permits work anyway, though the cost of them goes towards paying the wages of whoever administers them rather than actually buying a space.
I wonder if residents could enforce their own permit scheme?
What would have been your solution to the residents of a road owning too many vehicles to fit on that road?
I guess its a common enough situation these days - especially where new high density developments have been built in recent years without adequate parking provision.
There may be a good solution - but WBC's residents parking permit system is not one of them. It does nothing to prevent the conjestion because it does not limit the residents, each of whom can get a permit. So there is not change to the parking situation, but there are plenty of fed up residents who can't find the parking space they feel entitled to now WBC are charging them for it.
It would help if they ditched the absurd planning rules that prevent developers from supplying adequate parking. That might stop matters getting worse. They could also act through planning to prevent infill building and houses being converted into flats - the cause of much of the increase in the number of cars in a street.
Parking permits might make some sense if each house was limited to one permit - but imagine the arguments over which flat got the permit!
I guess its a common enough situation these days - especially where new high density developments have been built in recent years without adequate parking provision.
There may be a good solution - but WBC's residents parking permit system is not one of them. It does nothing to prevent the conjestion because it does not limit the residents, each of whom can get a permit. So there is not change to the parking situation, but there are plenty of fed up residents who can't find the parking space they feel entitled to now WBC are charging them for it.
It would help if they ditched the absurd planning rules that prevent developers from supplying adequate parking. That might stop matters getting worse. They could also act through planning to prevent infill building and houses being converted into flats - the cause of much of the increase in the number of cars in a street.
Parking permits might make some sense if each house was limited to one permit - but imagine the arguments over which flat got the permit!
Many houses were designed without "adequate" parking, not just modern ones.
If one moves into a house, for example down Russell Road one should accept that perhaps they won't be able to own more than one car in best the interests of their neighbourhood community.
One wouldn't buy a bedsit and then moan that one's four poster bed wouldn't fit in it. Buying a property with insufficient parking space for your needs, then complaining about it is akin to this.
That is all very well, but then the council go and impose a fee for the 'privilege' of not being able to park conveniently, with their residents parking schemes.
Many houses were designed without "adequate" parking, not just modern ones.
True enough - and there is good excuse for houses built before the 1960s when car ownership was relatively rare. There is no excuse now - and it is not the developers' fault.
If one moves into a house, for example down Russell Road one should accept that perhaps they won't be able to own more than one car in best the interests of their neighbourhood community.
I once looked at a house down there and decided not to buy it because of the parking situation (and I didn't have a car).
One wouldn't buy a bedsit and then moan that one's four poster bed wouldn't fit in it. Buying a property with insufficient parking space for your needs, then complaining about it is akin to this.
I agree - but that is not my situation. When I bought the house in question I had lodgers to help with the mortgage. Between the three of use we had one car. Neither of my immediate neighbours had cars - nor theirs. Parking was not a problem - the road was more than capable of holding all the residents' cars. By the time I left there was more multi-occupancy, the average age of the occupants was younger, every house had at least one car, some more. The parking was just sufficient. The parking scheme was announced - apparently to stop non-residents taking up space (which was never the problem). So the only difference it would make to me was that I would have to pay an annual charge with no improvement to the parking - and no real prospect of it not continuing to get worse. Even worse - the scheme was only enforced during the day when the road had masses of parking space available.
That is all very well, but then the council go and impose a fee for the 'privilege' of not being able to park conveniently, with their residents parking schemes.
As I understand it residents can turn down the offer of a permit scheme if they wish.
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