BOROUGH OF POOLE
TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY GROUP – 16 OCTOBER 2003
REPORT OF HEAD OF TRANSPORTATION SERVICES
ON heckford park area residents parking scheme REVIEW
1. Purpose of the Report and Policy Context
1.1 To review the Heckford Park Residents Parking Scheme.
2. Recommendations
2.1 It is recommended that approval be given to advertise the following orders.
2.1.1 Introduce a residents parking scheme with 2 hours limited waiting Monday to Friday, 8am - 6pm and exemption for residents and visitors permit holders in the roads highlighted in Appendix A.
2.1.2 Shorten the yellow lines in Jolliffe Road as shown on the plan Appendix B.
2.1.3 Extend the double yellow line to cover 47 Denmark Road accesses as shown on the plan Appendix C.
2.1.4 Shorten the bay outside of 27 Garland Road as shown on the plan Appendix D.
2.1.5 Introduce new parking bays in St Marys Road near the junction of Kingston Road, as shown on plan Appendix E.
2.1.6 Remove the bay in Shaftesbury Road near the junction of Maple Road as shown on plan Appendix F.
2.1.7 Confirm the existing method of operation of Phase 1 of the Heckford Parks Residents Parking Scheme.
2.1.8 Introduce a residents parking scheme into Linthorpe Road with 2 hours limited waiting Monday to Friday, 8am-6pm and exemption for residents and visitors permit holders as shown on the plan Appendix G, with a single yellow line restriction of 8am-6pm Mon to Fri.
2.1.9 The existing restriction in Sterte Avenue be changed to align with the proposed residents parking scheme.
and that the associated works be undertaken from April 2004.
3. Information
3.1 Residents within the Local Plan’s proposed parking restraint zone around the Town Centre, were consulted on a residents parking zone in December 2001. The Transportation Advisory Group (TAG) resolved to introduce parking controls in the roads closest to the Town Centre in Heckford Park and to review the effects of the scheme after 6 months of operation.
3.2 Since the introduction of the scheme comments have been received from residents of:
3.2.1 The Stokes Avenue/Haynes Avenue area about the increase in non-residential parking occurring in these roads
3.2.2 Marnhull Road about the increase in non-residential parking occurring in this road.
3.2.3 Linthorpe Road, about the increase in non-residential parking occurring in this road. (Traffic Panel recommended that the parking problems in here be considered as part of this review).
3.2.4 There have also been a number of concerns about the operation of the first phase of the scheme.
4. Comments on issues within the zone
Since the scheme was introduced in Dec 2002, a number of comments have been received. These are listed below:-
4.1 Commercial Vehicles
Residents have questioned whether commercial vehicles should be eligible for resident parking permits. The vehicle registration document (VRD) will show the vehicle type and taxation class. For all cars and vans this will show as PLG (private/light goods), for lorries/artics etc. it will show as either heavy goods or commercial. The application form states that the scheme does not cover heavy goods vehicles.
Trying to distinguish commercial vehicles from non-commercial would be very difficult to administer and it would be very difficult to define what would constitute a commercial vehicle. For example if someone showed their VRD with the vehicle described as Ford transit, it could be used by a builder, used for deliveries, could be converted into a motorhome or a minibus. There are also many small vans, which can double up as a private vehicle or be used as a van for deliveries etc. Parking Administration staff are not experts in the various vehicle types and we have to rely on the indications on the VRD. It is also important to remember that the scheme is intended to discourage commuter parking, not to control the vehicles that residents use.
4.2 Small Business Requests
Small business permits would continue to be issued within the set criteria, i.e. in specified roads where there is less demand for general parking spaces.
4.3 Visitor Permits
Some residents have questioned why they are only allowed to have 20 visitor permits per year and why they have to pay for them. If more than 20 are required then more can be issued on receipt of a letter outlining the reason why more are needed. The cost of a visitor permit is £1 a day, which is substantially less than the car parks in the town. The limit has been set to stop abuse by commuters having a resident by bulk permits for them so they can park in the residents parking zone to avoid paying car-parking charges.
4.4 Restrictions and Bays
Several objections were received concerning the extent of the proposed no waiting at any time restrictions on junctions throughout the area. Junction clearances have been kept at a consistent length throughout the zone and are consistent with the criteria set at the outset of the scheme.
4.5 Comment were received from residents of 47 Denmark Road and 71 Garland Road about bays straddling their accesses with cars parking in the bay and obstructing their access. The scheme was introduced to reduce commuter parking, and not to clear individual accesses. There are also many residents who want to park over their accesses. There is, however, a particular problem as Denmark Road is close to the Hospital and it is suggested that the existing yellow lines be extended to cover the pedestrian access to the rear of Shaftesbury Road and the vehicular access to 47 Denmark Road.
4.6 There has been requests from residents in Shaftesbury Road to introduce part restrictions in Heckford Lane. However as there was strong support in the form of a petition and letters from residents in Heckford Road at the time of introduction for no restrictions here, this strength of feeling is likely to remain. Therefore no changes are recommended.
4.7 Requests have been received to remove the bay on Shaftesbury Road between Maple Road and Denmark Road. There is concern about through vehicles being forced to the wrong side of the road at the Maple Road junction. It is suggested that the bay be removed to improve the situation here.
4.8 Comment has been received about the bays along Maple Road at its junction with Heckford Road. There is concern over the safety of vehicle movements due to the bays marked opposite the junction. Regular observations of this junction indicate that there are no safety implications of having the bays marked here, and removal of the bays will decrease the amount of available parking in this area.
4.9 Requests have been received to shorten the lines at Jolliffe Road as shown on Appendix B. The restrictions here are consistent with the rest of the area. In reality the junction is very wide and it would be appropriate to shorten the lines to the boundary of 3 Jolliffe Road on the northern side. The School Crossing Patrol Attendant would have concerns over safety if there were a reduction in the lines on the southern side of the road, as visibility is already a concern here due an adjacent wall. It is felt that to increase parking on the Southern Side would make it more difficult to cross the junction here.
4.10 Requests have been received from residents in St Marys Road and Maple Road for the scheme to be introduced 24 hrs a day as there is non-residential parking in the evenings and night. The introduction of the scheme 24 hrs a day will mean that all residents wishing to park here will have to purchase a permit, and the introduction of a 24hr scheme in these roads may be objected to by residents who do not currently need to by a permit as their parking is outside the core hours.
4.11 Requests have been received to introduce parking bays at the junction of St Marys and Kingston Road between the junction and the first driveway where the road here is wide enough.
4.12 Requests have been received to lengthen the bay in Kingston Road with the junction of St Marys Road. The cost of the extension of this bay by less than 1m could not be justified.
4.13 Requests have been received from the Transport Group representative from Local Agenda 21 to extend the yellow lines on the approach to the pedestrian refuge in Garland Road with the junction of St Marys Road. There has been concerns raised here due to the road width caused by the parking bays and the proximity of the pedestrian refuge, and the safety issues this has with cyclists.
4.14 Requests have been received for the introduction of a controlled parking zone in Linthorpe Road. The road is 6.2 -6.3m wide, which is less than the minimum width (7.3m) required for marked bays both side of the road. Parking could only be introduced on one side of the road with waiting restrictions on the other.
5 Public Consultation outside of the Scheme
5.1 The predominant concern from people living just outside of the scheme was about the amount of parking in their roads. Following discussion with the Ward Councillors leaflets were delivered to residents of those streets which were not included in Phase 1 of the Heckford Park Residents Parking Scheme. There were 259 returns from the 750 leaflets delivered. In Linthorpe Road there were 41 returns from the 43 leaflets delivered. A summary of the results of the consultation is shown in Appendix A.
5.2 Sterte Area
5.2.1 Overall there is a majority in favour of the introduction of the scheme in these roads. Sterte Road already has a residents parking scheme in operation and this would be extended to include the other roads nearby. There is already a bay marked outside the parade of shops with a thirty minute limited wait Monday to Saturday 8am to 6pm, these restrictions will remain unchanged and will not be included in the residents parking scheme.
5.2.2 Sterte Avenue has parking bays already marked with a one hour limited wait Monday to Saturday 8am to 6pm. Although there was not a large majority in favour in this road it would be appropriate to introduce the restriction proposed for the rest of the ( ie a two hour limited wait with exemption for permit holders) within the existing bays.
5.2.3 Sterte Close has a bay marked near its junction with Sterte Road, with a thirty minute limited wait Monday to Saturday 8am to 6pm. It is proposed that this will be changed to two hour limited wait with exemption for permit holders. Due to the physical layout of the road there will be a limited number of places where bays can be marked, with waiting restrictions elsewhere. Concern has previously been raised about access along this road for emergency and service vehicles, and marked bays will address some of these concerns.
5.3 Well Lane
There is an overall majority in favour for the introduction of a residents parking scheme in Well Lane. The road is wide enough to have bays marked one side, with waiting restrictions around the turning area and other side of the road.
5.4 Jolliffe Road, Jolliffe Avenue, Marnhull Road, Sandborne Road, Brailswood Road, Denby Road, Winterbourne Road and Winterbourne Close
There is only a small majority in favour of introduction of the scheme in some of these roads, 55.8% in the area as a whole. It is considered that this is not a large enough majority to impose restrictions in these roads. It would not be appropriate for individual roads to be introduced in isolation.
5.5 Linthorpe Road
There was a majority in favour of introducing the scheme, and a number of comments from residents suggesting that they would support the scheme if the waiting restrictions were Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm.
A summary of the comments received are listed in Appendix G
JAMES T BRIGHT
Head of Transportation Services
Appendix A - Residents Parking Scheme Consultation Results
Appendix B - Joliffe Road
Appendix C - Denmark Road
Appendix D - Garland Road
Appendix E - St Marys Road
Appendix F - Shaftesbury Road
Appendix G - Residents Parking Scheme Consultation Results
Background Papers - None
Name and Telephone Number of Officer Contact
Steve Dean (010202) 262071
TAG161003T3H
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APPENDIX A
RESIDENTS PARKING SCHEME
CONSULTATION RESULTS
Summary of Results of Consultation, highlighted Roads to be included in the Heckford Park Residents Parking Scheme.
Road Name / No of Returns / Yes / No / Percentage in favourBrailswood Road / 20 / 15 / 5 / 75.0
Denby Road / 10 / 5 / 5 / 50.0
Fernside Road / 1 / 1 / 100.0
Haynes Avenue / 25 / 24 / 1 / 96.0
Jolliffe Avenue / 1 / 1
Jolliffe Road / 17 / 10 / 7 / 58.8
Marnhull Road / 11 / 6 / 5 / 54.5
Sandbourne Road / 14 / 8 / 6 / 57.1
Sterte Avenue / 6 / 3 / 3 / 50.0
Sterte Close / 13 / 8 / 5 / 61.5
Sterte Esplanade / 18 / 15 / 3 / 83.3
Sterte Road / 15 / 12 / 3 / 80.0
Stokes Avenue / 40 / 33 / 7 / 82.5
Well Lane / 8 / 6 / 2 / 75.0
West View Road / 7 / 4 / 3 / 57.1
Wimborne Road / 38 / 23 / 15 / 60.5
Winterbourne Close / 1 / 1 / 0.0
Winterbourne Road / 12 / 4 / 8 / 33.3
Linthorpe Road / 41 / 24 / 17 / 58.5
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