Have your say about proposed new residents’ parking permits policy
Shropshire residents are being asked for their views about proposed new rules for residents’ on-street parking permits.
Shropshire Council’s draft new parking strategy – which is out to consultation until 17 October – proposes to simplify and improve the way that residents’ parking schemes are considered, implemented, managed and paid for.
People who currently use residents’ parking permits – or may do in future – are being encouraged to take a look at the proposals and submit their comments.
Steve Davenport, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways and transport, said:
“The existing Residents’ Parking Policy introduced in 2011 is now considered too rigid and complex. A new policy is required that is more flexible, provides appropriate concessions, and allows residents to park within a reasonable distance of their homes
“Given the likely levels of current and future housing development and present planning policy guidelines there is also a need to have a policy in place that will – if considered necessary – safeguard existing residents’ on-street parking provision.
“There is also now a need to give greater consideration to, and flexibility in, the use of residents’ parking schemes as a traffic management tool that can assist in promoting sustainable transport.
“In addition, Shropshire Council now has enforcement technology and software that means virtual permits can be issued, and permit administration can be automated.
“However, these are proposals at this stage and we want to hear what people think before the consultation period ends on 17 October.”
Under the proposals the annual cost of a resident’s parking permit would rise to £100, and a number of other suggestions are put forward regarding how residents’ parking schemes are applied for, considered, implemented and managed.
For more information and to take part in the consultation, go to shropshire.gov.uk/parking-consultation and select option 3.
Printed copies of the consultation documents are also available from Shropshire Council libraries and customer service points, and on request by calling 0345 678 9028.
All responses to the consultation will be carefully considered before the final proposals are presented to Shropshire Council’s Cabinet in autumn 2017.
Further information
The parking strategy determines the way that the council manages and runs its car parks and on-street parking, including how and what it charges for parking. The current strategy was introduced in 2012 and needs to be replaced.
The council has carried out a detailed, evidence-based, review to inform the new draft strategy, and has put forward a number of proposals that will make parking arrangements – both in car parks on on-street – simpler, clearer and more consistent, as well as helping to reduce congestion and pollution in Shropshire’s market towns.
Any extra money generated from these new proposals would be reinvested in improvements to car parks and to the parking service, including the replacement of the existing payment machines to enable payment by card, contactless payments, and payment by mobile phone – along with improvements to car parks, including resurfacing and the widening of parking bays.
The consultation is broken down into four parts, as follows:
- Proposals regarding ‘linear’ (set price per hour) parking; pricing bands; unrestricted parking; evening parking; loading bays; ‘pop and shop’ parking, and opening hours at Raven Meadows car park in Shrewsbury.
- A new policy and tariff framework for weekly tickets, season tickets, residents’ off-street permits, and for coach and HGV parking.
- Proposed changes to Shropshire’s Council’s on-street residents’ parking permit scheme.
- Proposed changes to the car parking waiver system.
People can respond to all four parts, or just the ones that are of interest/relevance to them.
To take part in the consultation, go to shropshire.gov.uk/parking-consultation.
Printed copies of the consultation documents are available from Shropshire Council libraries and customer service points, and on request by calling 0345 678 9028.
The consultation runs until 17 October 2017.
Subject to approval of any proposals, a further formal traffic regulation order consultation and approval will be required before they are implemented.
