Agenda item

Report attached

Following a discussion between the Chairman and the Cabinet Member for Community Empowerment it had been agreed to resubmit to the Committee for consideration a report in response to the formal consultation on the proposal for the Romleigh Park Estate.

The report detailed that further to numerous requests, reports and petitions received from residents and Ward Councillors representing Romleigh Park Estate, a review and consultation of an appropriate parking scheme was submitted to the Committee on 16 October 2012.

The report proposed a Traffic and Parking Control scheme between 10.30am till 11.30am Monday to Friday. This would include waiting restrictions to deter long term and local commuter parking, predominantly from people parking and then walking to Harold Wood Station and to prevent students from the college situated on the former Harold Wood Hospital site from long term parking. It was proposed to design a scheme that worked with the existing Controlled Parking Zone within the Harold Wood Ward. 

The report informed the Committee that there may be parking problems within this area once the development within the old Harold Wood Hospital site had been completed.

A public consultation was carried out on 10 May 2013 and 366 resident addresses in the area perceived to be affected by the proposed scheme were advised detailing the proposals. Eighteen statutory bodies were also consulted and site notices were placed within the Romleigh Park Estate.

At the close, 62 responses had been received, a 17% response rate. A table outlining all the responses was appended to the report.

About 10% of the responses were in favour of the 10.30am to 11.30am Monday to Friday waiting restrictions and the ‘At any time’ waiting restrictions at the junctions.  Seven per cent of the responses received were against the proposals for the 10.30am to 11.30am Monday to Friday waiting restrictions, although 3% of those were in favour of the ‘At any time’ waiting restrictions at junctions.

The report outlined that there were an estimated 197 private parking spaces located in designated areas within the Estate, not including garages nor the off-street parking provision fronting the properties. The majority of the home owners had within their deeds one or more car parking spaces and could therefore use these facilities during the one hour restriction. It was for this reason that staff proposed that the Romleigh Park Estate, which was currently unrestricted, be included within the Harold Wood Controlled Parking Zone.

In accordance with the public participation arrangements the Committee was addressed by local residents speaking for and against the scheme. The Committee heard about the benefit of the scheme to local residents who were frequently obstructed by parked cars from getting in and out of their driveways. Two other residents spoke about the disadvantage of the scheme to those who work night shift and had more than two cars; another resident felt that the issues of concern did not affect residents of Copperfields Way and as such did not want to be included in the scheme.

With the agreement of the Committee, Councillor Pam Light spoke in support of the scheme.

In accordance with the public participation arrangements the Committee was addressed by a local resident who spoke in support of the scheme and two local residents who spoke against the scheme.

During general debate Members of the Committee discussed:

• the possible provision of resident parking permits;
• the possible provision of resident parking bays to accommodate displaced residents’ cars;
• whether more consideration could be given to shift workers with no parking spaces;
• the allocation of parking spaces to homes in the area;

With the inclusion of a six month review of the scheme the Committee RESOLVED:

To recommend to the Cabinet Member for Community Empowerment that:

a.   the minor parking scheme set out in this report to implement 10:30am till 11:30am Monday to Friday and ‘At any time’ waiting restrictions, as shown on the drawing TPC280-Romleigh Park Estate Parking Review, be implemented as advertised.

b.    the effect of the scheme be monitored

c.    the estimated cost of this scheme as set out in this report is £6,000 which can be funded from the 2013/14 Minor Parking Schemes revenue budget.

d.    the effect of the scheme be reviewed in six months after implementation.

The vote was 8 in favour and 1 against.