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ITEM EN4

TRANSPORT IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE -
4 MARCH 2003

SUMMERTOWN CONTROLLED PARKING ZONE

Report by Head of Transport

1. On 15 April 2003 the Executive resolved:

1. not to proceed with the original proposals advertised between 11 January 2002 and 1 February 2002;
2. to authorise the Director for Environment & Economy to publish a draft order for the current Summertown Residents’ Parking Scheme proposals as described in paragraphs 21 et seq of the report EX8 and indicated on Drawing No 721/AO/3000 Rev D;
3. to ask officers to investigate with the local members the specific issues raised by Councillor Fooks, subject to consultation with the Executive Members for Transport and Strategic Planning & Waste Management if agreement was not reached as to whether further amendment of the proposals before public consultation was desirable;
4. that the proposals be reviewed after a period of 18 months.

2. This report now considers the current position.
   
   (Plans - download as .doc file)
   

Review and Changes to Proposals Prior to Formal Consultation

3. Checks on site revealed that there were errors in the detail of the scheme inherited from Oxford City Council. The whole area was re-surveyed and locations of access ways, lamp columns and fire hydrants correctly identified.
4. The proposals were then examined in detail, street by street to confirm that the locations of all parking bays were safe and that in overall terms the scheme complied with Section 122 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.
5. Amendments included the protection of fire hydrants within parking spaces by small sections of double yellow lines. Community Management parking proposals still formed a very important part of the scheme where parking space is at a premium.
6. In Beech Croft Road a few more residents’ spaces were added following a reassessment of the parking proposals. More 3-hour parking was also made available outside the Baptist Church.
7. Further consultation meetings were held with representatives from Greengates Nursing Home and The Firs in Hernes Road. More parking for visiting families of elderly residents in the homes was required. As a result the section of Permit Holder Only parking outside The Firs was changed to 4 hour ‘shared use’.
8. A further two extra Permit Holders Only parking bays were added to the northern side of Hobson Road. This created extra parking for the residents and their visitors in the road.
9. In Kings Cross Road the parking bay outside 44 Portland Road was reduced in length for safety reasons. In order to provide the local garage with more flexible customer parking this restriction as well as the section running alongside No 55 Kings Cross Road was changed to 3-hour ‘shared use’.
10. In Lonsdale Road a section of Permit Holders Only parking was removed from outside No 304 Banbury Road as it was obstructing access to off-street parking. Similarly there was a small reduction in the length of the Permit Holders Only parking bays on the eastern side of Lucerne Road where the bays were found to be blocking residents’ accessways.
11. A small section of the single yellow line in Mayfield Road was replaced by double yellows to protect an accessway in and out of Summerfield School. The Resident Permit Holders Only parking was reduced by a few metres outside number 8 Mayfield Road to protect turning circles of delivery vehicles.
12. The Permit Holders Only parking bay to the south of Osberton Road in Middle Way was reduced in length as it was too close to the junctions of Grove Street and Osberton Road and obscured sight lines. An additional area of Resident Permit Holders Only was provided on the western side of Middle Way outside No 5 Squitchey Lane.
13. In Oakthorpe Place an additional Permit Holders Parking space was provided on the western side of the road and in Osberton Road the Resident Permit Holders Only parking bay on the north side close to the junction of Middle Way was reduced in length to protect sight lines and vehicle visibility.
14. The Permit Holders Only Parking in Portland Road on the southern side close to the junction of Kings Cross Road was reduced in length to protect sight lines and vehicle visibility. On the western end of Portland Road, the 2-hour parking was increased in length towards the Banbury Road to provide space for at least 2 more cars.
15. A section of 2-hour parking on the southern side of South Parade, close to the junction of Banbury Road, was reduced to protect access to the rear of Prama House and 269 Banbury Road. New No Waiting at any Time restrictions were provided in order to protect the accesses to Nos. 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15 Squitchey Lane.
16. In Summerfield Road the Permit Holders Only Parking was moved from the northern side to the southern side of the road to allow a clear vehicle path if Marks and Spencer’s delivery lorries were unloading goods to their premises.
17. The Permit Holders Only parking in Victoria Road near the Banbury Road junction was reduced on both sides of the road. This helped create seven 2 hour parking spaces, five of which are shared use and provided parking for the nearby Health Clinic and the Carphone Warehouse.
18. In order to make the Business Permit Scheme more user friendly to commercial organisations it was decided to make such permits business specific rather than vehicle specific. Businesses would still need to demonstrate operational need.
19. The Business Permit Scheme was also amended to allow Oxfam a maximum of 50 permits. This figure was based on the outcome of meetings and discussion with Council officers and Councillor Jean Fooks. Again such permits would only be granted on the basis of operational need.
20. With agreement of local councillors Dermot Roaf and Jean Fooks to these changes, the Draft Traffic Regulation Order was then prepared and sent out for formal consultation.

The Formal Consultation Process – 14 November 2003 to 12 December 2003

21. A total of 1622 consultation packs were sent out to every resident and organisation within the zone. An example of this can be seen in Document C, which is unavailable in the Members’ Resource Centre. A further 50 packs were sent to formal consultees. Each consultee was sent a copy of the Draft Order, Notice and Statement of Reasons and a copy of Plan No 721/AO/3015 Rev A showing the zone. Examples are in Documents C, also available in the Members’ Resource Centre.
22. Packs were also provided for public inspection at St Andrews Church Hall, Summertown Public Library, Central Library, County Hall and Speedwell House. Street notices were placed in every road within the zone for the duration of the consultation period. The notice was also advertised in the Oxford Times on Friday 14th November 2003.
23. During the consultation process an error was found in the published Notice in paragraphs 2(j)(iv) and 3. A revised Notice was published in the Oxford Times on 28 November 2003 and new notices posted on lamp columns in the affected roads. The following roads Beechcroft Road, Grove Street, Hobson Road, Mayfield Road, Middle Way, Oakthorpe Road, Osberton Road, Ridgemont Close, South Parade and Stratfield Road were granted an additional week of consultation (up to 19 December 2003). All residents in these streets were also notified by letter.
24. In total the scheme provided 968 permit holder only spaces and 252 short-term spaces, a total of 1220 spaces. Permit holders will be able to use 159 of these short-term spaces without time restriction. This provides permit holders with a capacity of 1127 on-street parking places when compared with an estimated on-street demand of approximately 850.
25. The formal consultation process resulted in 309 responses. All the returned questionnaires and accompanying letters can be viewed in Document B, available in the Members’ Resource Centre. A synopsis of each comment or objection together with the Head of Transport’s response and recommendation can be found in Document A, also in the Members’ Resource Centre. This also includes a complete list of respondents and Pye charts showing the level of support for the proposals in each road.
26. For the scheme as a whole, 67 (4%) residents were satisfied with the proposals without comment, 89 (5%) residents were satisfied with the proposals but made comments and 154 (9%) were not satisfied with the proposals and made objections. The remaining 1312 (81%) did not reply. The overall conclusion from this is that the scheme seems to have been favourably received but there are areas of local concern.

Recommended Changes to the Proposals

27. A small proportion of residents in Lonsdale Road, Portland Road, Hamilton Road, Victoria Road and Kings Cross Road objected to the proposals on the grounds that business permits would not be limited in numbers. A limit of around 200 business permits was included in the report to the Executive on 15 April 2003 and although not included in the formal consultation documentation that is still the case. There were also concerns over a lack of a definition of operational need for business permit applicants. However this is stated in Article 40 of the Draft Traffic Regulation Order which defines operational need as "essentially needed in connection with the operation of the business".
28. Another common objection by these residents was that business permits would not display the name or address of the business. It is the Council’s policy not to provide this information on permits for security reasons. However each permit will include a unique number which can be used to identify the business concerned if necessary.
29. Further objections to the scheme from these residents concerned the spaces outside their homes being designated as Permit Holders Only Parking and requested Resident Permit Holders Only Parking instead. Residents felt that the proposals would cause large numbers of business permit holders to park in these roads and occasionally block their access ways. If ‘Residents Only’ parking were provided in its place then the situation would be satisfactory.
30. It is important to remember that ‘Residents Only’ parking was proposed in the zone on roads with very little on-street parking and due to the housing density there is a lack of off-street parking. In the above mentioned roads there is a surplus parking capacity. When commuters are encouraged to use the Park and Ride and the limited numbers of operational business permits are spread over the whole zone, the situation will be greatly improved. The current proposals will encourage a more efficient use of the available roadspace.
31. Residents of Beech Croft Road objected to not being exempt from the time limit in the two sections of 3-hour parking outside the Baptist Church. A petition was returned containing signatures from 38 of the 53 households. On-street parking is scarce in the road so the change to make residents exempt from the time limit is recommended. Two residents also objected to the community management proposals outside Nos.35 and 37. It is recommended that these restrictions be changed to No Waiting at any Time.
32. Conversely residents in Grove Street outside Nos. 29 and 30 preferred the community management option. It is recommended that the present No Waiting at any Time restrictions be changed to Permit Holder Only 8am to 10pm Mon to Sun over a length of 5 metres.
33. Residents in Hernes Road expressed reservations over two-sided parking in the Hernes Crescent. The main concern was that such parking would be unsafe and obstruct sight lines. Following a site visit by officers to the area, it was decided that visibility would be sufficient as the current proposals already remove large areas of parking especially in the vicinity of Hernes Road / Hernes Crescent junction.
34. These residents were also concerned that the 4-hour parking in Hernes Road and Hernes Crescent would attract shoppers and commuters wishing to evade Park and Ride charges when entering Oxford. It is possible that some shoppers would find this useful. However part-time staff commuting to Oxford or Summertown may still not find these spaces convenient as they are still some distance away from the main centres of employment.
35. In both Lonsdale Road and Lucerne Road some residents wanted the present Permit Holder Only Parking 10am to 4pm Mon to Fri restrictions to be changed to No Waiting at Any Time. It is recommended that these changes are made between the accesses of Nos. 88 Lonsdale Road and across the access of No 91 Lonsdale Road and outside the access to No 17 Lucerne Road.
36. Residents of Oakthorpe Road objected to the 2-hour parking outside Quercus Court. Oakthorpe Road has a shortfall of on-street parking therefore it is recommended that the restriction should be changed from 2 hour parking 8am to 6.30 pm Mon to Sun to make permit holders exempt from the time limit.
37. A small number of residents in Osberton Road expressed concerns over the number of spaces available to them. Unfortunately the width of the road does not allow double sided parking as this would prevent emergency vehicles and service vehicle access. After the informal consultation process in December 2002, written approval was gained from the Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service for a small section of double sided parking to be provided in the central section of the road, allowing access from either end. This decision has enabled the provision of the maximum safe number of spaces and on safety grounds no further changes can be made to this road.
38. In Portland Road the residents of Nos. 2 and 12 objected to the community management proposals. It is recommended that the restriction outside these accesses be changed from Permit Holder Only Parking 10am to 4 pm Mon to Fri to No Waiting at Any Time.
39. A garage owner in Rogers Street has objected to the proposed restrictions at the rear of No 273c Banbury Road. It is recommended that the restriction outside the middle garage be changed from 10 minute parking 8am to 7 pm Mon to Sun to No Waiting at Any Time.
40. Northern House School expressed concerns over emergency access to the School Grounds from South Parade. The Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service carried out a site visit and recommended a change to the proposals. The entrance is not wide enough for the fire appliance to gain access, so it would have to use the exit to gain entry in the event of an emergency. The No Waiting at Any Time restriction would have to be extended by a further 9 metres to the east of the exit to allow appliances to turn into the grounds.
41. Objections were received about the restrictions across the access between Nos. 7 and 8 South Parade. This leads to 30 lock up garages, an office block, and a private dwelling. It is also used as an access for customer parking for the Blue Palms Restaurant. It is recommended that the restriction be changed from No Waiting 8am to 4pm Mon to Sat to No Waiting at Any Time. The resident of No 11 South Parade objected to the 2 Hour shared use parking outside the property. It is recommended that it be changed to Permit Holder Only Parking 8am to 10pm Mon to Sun.
42. The owner of No 27 Squitchey Lane has requested a change in the restriction from the community management option of Permit Holder Only parking 10am to 4pm Mon to Fri. It is recommended to protect the access way with a No Waiting at Any Time restriction
43. Several residents of Stratfield Road objected to the amount of parking provided by the proposals which were thought to be inadequate. To address this issue, officers drew up an amended layout for the road offering an extra nine spaces. All residents in the road were additionally consulted between the 29th January 2004 and 6th February 2004. The covering letter explained that those that did not respond would be assumed to accept the revised proposals.
44. During the additional consultation there was a very positive response; 22 of the 62 residences responded (35%). Of the 22 responses, 21 were in favour of the revised proposals (95.5%) and the remaining 40 residents who chose not to reply are assumed to be in favour of the proposals. The new layout is therefore recommended for inclusion within the scheme.
45. The Bursar at Summerfield School in Summerfield Road expressed concern over a length of proposed No Waiting 8.00am to 4.00pm Mon to Sat, close to one of their main accessways. The Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service Department made a site visit and confirmed that access to the school would not be compromised by the proposals. Therefore no change is recommended to this proposal.
46. Residents in Summerhill Road objected to the 2 Hour Parking 8am to 6.30pm Mon to Sun by the Banbury Road junction. This would be used by residents of Banbury Road with no off-street parking. In order to accommodate these residents it is recommended that the restrictions be changed to 2 Hour Parking 8am to 6.30pm Mon to Sun, Permit Holders Exempt from Time Limit.
47. In Victoria Road the resident of No 46 wanted the option of community management. It is therefore recommended that the restriction be changed from No Waiting at Any Time to Permit Holder Only parking 10am to 4pm Mon to Fri. However the owners of Nos 57, 85 and 87 objected to community management. In this case it is recommended that the restriction outside the house accesses be changed from Permit Holder Only Parking 10am to 4pm Mon to Fri to No Waiting at Any Time.
48. Following the formal consultation process it was discovered that Ferry Pool Road was omitted from the Schedule 4 Part A, postal addresses from which Residents are Eligible to Apply for Permits, of the Draft Traffic Regulation Order. Legal advice has been taken confirming that it can be inserted into the Order as a minor amendment.
49. The Oxford Centre, 333 Banbury Road has instructed Spratt Endicott Solicitors to act on their behalf in making their objection to the Summertown Residents’ Parking Scheme. They have produced 7 principal objections to the scheme as it stands for not providing a Conference Permit Scheme or some similarly satisfactory solution. Officers have carefully considered the comments and made recommendations in Document A. Members are advised to give these objections due consideration before arriving at a decision.
50. An objection was received from the Apsley Road Residents’ Association expressing concern about the displacement of commuter parking from the Summertown and North Oxford Controlled Parking Zones. Officers have already met with representatives from Apsley Road and Upland Park Road and have designed experimental traffic schemes to address the problem. Other roads will be identified after new parking patterns have settled down. However as these will only be stop gap measures, it is recommended that the design and implementation of the North Summertown Controlled Parking Zone be undertaken in 2004/5 and 2005/6 subject to availability of resources.
51. All the recommendations were consulted upon with the legal representative from Buckinghamshire County Council. Officers are satisfied that the recommended changes either in whole or in part constitute minor amendments. The total number of spaces which would change their designation if approved would be 60. Based on the total number of spaces in the zone of 1220, this represents a total change of 4.9%

Environmental Implications

52. This scheme will make a direct contribution in reducing traffic congestion within the vicinity of Summertown. Many commuters are expected to change their parking patterns and mode of travel from car to the Water Eaton Park and Ride, and in some cases change their travel mode altogether.
53. The most obvious benefit will be the reduction in parking congestion in the zone itself which should improve the quality of life for residents. There would also be a reduction in vehicle emissions and the scheme would contribute towards the County Council’s sustainability agenda.
54. There would be some environmental impact in residential streets due to the erection of necessary signing. Road markings would be required to define parking areas and the extent of waiting restrictions. The changes in the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002 mean that No Waiting at Any Time markings no longer require supplementary signing to be enforceable.

Financial and Staff Implications

55. The estimated cost of the scheme is £90,000 which is included in the Capital Programme. Funding with operation of the scheme would be funded from within the on-street parking account.
56. Business parking permits would generate an estimated income in the region of £20,000 pa based on previous experience in other zones. Income from enforcement of Penalty Charge Notices is estimated to be around £73,000. After allowing for expenditure on additional Control Plus staff required for enforcement, the net cost to the parking account is estimated to be about £39,000. The increased use by commuters of the Water Eaton Park and Ride is estimated to attract an additional income of £48,000 pa.

RECOMMENDATIONS

57. The Committee is RECOMMENDED to:

1. approve the overall scheme shown on Plan No 721/AO/3015 Rev A, but with the following amendments:

1. Beech Croft Road : Change the restrictions outside Nos. 35 and 37 Beechcroft Road from Resident Permit Holder Only 8am to 10pm Mon to Sun to No Waiting at Any Time (Plan No HM721/A3/3006 Rev A);
2. Beech Croft Road : Change the two restrictions outside the Woodstock Road Baptist Church in Beechcroft Road from 3 Hour Parking, 8am to 6.30pm Mon to Sun to 3 Hour Parking 8am to 6.30pm Mon to Sun, Permit Holders Exempt from Time Limit (Plan No HM721/A3/3006 Rev A.);
3. Grove Street : Change the restriction outside Nos. 29 and 30 Grove Street over a length of 5 metres from No Waiting at Any Time to Permit Holders Only Parking 8am to 10pm Mon to Sun (Plan No HM721/A3/3002 Rev A.);
4. Lonsdale Road : Change the restriction between the accesses of Nos. 88 Lonsdale Road and across the access of No 91 Lonsdale Road from Permit Holder Only Parking 10am to 4pm Mon to Fri to No Waiting at Any Time (Plan No HM721/A3/3009 Rev A.);
5. Lucerne Road : Change the restriction outside the access No 17 Lucerne Road from Permit Holder Only Parking 10am to 4pm Mon to Fri to No Waiting at Any Time (Plan No HM721/A3/3011 Rev A.);
6. Oakthorpe Road : Change the restrictions outside 1A (Cannelle Beaute), 1B (Accent) and the southern flank of Martins, No 205 Banbury Road, either side of the Taxi Rank from 2 hour Parking 8am to 6.30pm Mon to Sun to 2 Hour Parking 8am to 6.30 pm Mon to Sun, Permit Holders Exempt from Time Limit (Plan No HM721/A3/3006 Rev A.);
7. Portland Road : Change the restriction outside the accesses to Nos. 2 and 12 Portland Road from Permit Holder Only Parking 10am to 4pm Mon to Fri to No Waiting at Any Time (Plan No HM721/A3/3010 Rev A.);
8. Rogers Street : Change a 2.5 metre length of restriction outside the middle garage at the rear of No 273c Banbury Road from 10 Minute Parking 8am to 7pm Mon to Sun to No Waiting at Any Time (Plan No HM721/A3/3004 Rev A.);
9. South Parade : Change the restriction outside No 11 South Parade from 2 Hour Parking, 8am to 6.30pm Mon to Sun, Permit Holders Exempt from Time Limit to Permit Holder Parking Only 8am to 10pm Mon to Sun (See Plan No HM721/A3/ 3004 Rev A.);
10. South Parade: Reduce the length of Permit Holders Only Parking by a length of 9 metres to the east of the exit of Northern House School and replace with No Waiting at any Time in line with comments from Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service (See Plan No HM721/A3/ 3004 Rev A.);
11. South Parade : Change the restriction from the western boundary of No 8 South Parade to just east of the access outside No 7 South Parade from No Waiting 8am to 4pm Mon to Sat to No Waiting at Any Time (See Plan No HM721/A3/ 3004 Rev A.);
12. Squitchey Lane : Change the restriction across the access of No 27 Squitchey Lane from Permit Holder Only Parking 10am to 4pm Mon to Fri to No Waiting at Any Time (See Plan No HM721/A3/ 3001 Rev A.);
13. Stratfield Road : Revoke existing restrictions outside Nos. 2 to 6, Nos. 9 to 11, Nos. 16 to 22, Nos. 26 to 28, Nos. 33 to 35, Nos. 39 to 41, Nos. 48 to 55 from Resident Permit Holders Only Parking 8am to 10pm Mon to Sun and replace with No Waiting at Any Time and then reintroduce restrictions outside Nos. 2 to 6, Nos. 9 to 27, Nos. 33 to 51 and Nos.55/57 with Resident Permit Holders Only Parking 8am to 10pm Mon to Sun (See Plan HM721/A3/3005 Rev A.);
14. Summerhill Road : Change the restrictions outside the flank wall of No 325 Banbury Road and outside the flank wall of 327 Banbury Road and the frontage of 1B Summerhill Road from 2 Hour Parking 8am to 6.30 pm Mon to Sun to 2 Hour Parking 8am to 6.30 pm Mon to Sun, Permit Holders Exempt from Time Limit (Plan No HM 721/A3/3002 Rev A.);
15. Victoria Road : Change the restriction outside the frontage and access way of No 46 Victoria Road from No Waiting at Any Time to Permit Holder Only Parking 10am to 4 pm Mon to Fri (Plan No HM721/A3/3010 Rev A.);
16. Victoria Road : Change the restrictions outside accesses of Nos. 57, 85 and 87 from Permit Holder Only Parking 10am to 4pm Mon to Fri to No Waiting at Any Time (Plan No HM721/A3/3010 Rev A.);

2. add "Ferry Pool Road - the whole road" to Schedule 4 Part A – Postal Addresses from which Residents are Eligible to Apply for Permits;
3. carefully consider the objection to the scheme made by Spratt Endicott, Solicitors regarding the omission of a Conference Permit Parking Scheme from the proposals and whether to support the officer recommendation to confirm the Order as advertised;
4. instruct the Head of Transport to proceed with the design and implementation of the North Summertown Zone in the next two financial years, subject to the necessary resources being available.

DAVID McKIBBIN
Head of Transport

Background Papers: Documents A, B and C, located in the Members’ Resource Centre

Contact Officers:
Richard Kingshott Tel 01865 815716
Charlie Bevan Tel 01865 815650

19 February 2004

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