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ITEM EX16

EXECUTIVE – 28 MAY 2002

WEDGWOOD ROAD, BICESTER - PROHIBITION OF WAITING ORDER

Report by the Director of Environmental Services

Introduction

  1. The purpose of this report is to consider the objections received following the formal advertisement of the draft order and to determine whether or not the draft order should be made or amended.

    2. Background

  2. Wedgwood Road is a cul-de-sac serving an estate comprising a large number of small industrial units and a few larger factory units. There is therefore a requirement for large commercial vehicles to have access and there are regular incidences of severe obstruction caused by un-regulated parking, on some occasions necessitating police attendance. In an effort to avoid obstructing the carriageway many cars and in some cases heavy commercial vehicles are parked with two wheels on the footway. All the units have off-highway parking provision within the estate.

  3. The proposals to restrict parking shown on Drawing No WEDG/1 arise from requests from a number of occupiers and are supported in principle by the police.

  4. Data derived from a parking survey indicates that approximately 30 vehicles may be parked at any one time but that about 80% of those vehicles will be there for a period exceeding 4 hours, indicating that this is employee parking on the road - not essential business activity such as loading or unloading. The survey was carried out on 1 day only (16 July 2001).

    5. Consultation

  5. The draft order was advertised in the local paper on 15 March 2002. Notices were also posted on the affected roads. The time allowed for objections to be received was 21 days.

  6. Three letters of objection were received, 1 after the closing date, all from companies operating on the estate. One respondent requested that parking be restricted on the outside of the bend but also remarked on the problem of displacement of parked vehicles. The other objectors were of the view that the proposals were too restrictive, that the obstruction issue was being exaggerated and that the lack of on-street parking would affect their businesses.

  7. The Town Council and Thames Valley Police have no objections to the proposals.

  8. The responses are tabulated in greater detail as Annex 1.

  9. There will certainly be some displacement of parking to other streets even with improved usage of internal parking areas. A minor modification is proposed to permit an approximate extra 4 spaces. (See Drawing No WEDG/2).

    10. Environmental Implications

  10. The restriction of on-street parking should reduce congestion and also provide an improved facility for pedestrians where vehicles will be prevented from parking on the footway.

    11. Financial and Staff Implications

  11. The introduction of these waiting restrictions will cost approximately £2000 and will be financed from the Minor Safety Schemes budget.

    12. RECOMMENDATIONS

  12. The Executive is recommended to authorise the making of the Order subject to minor modifications described in paragraph 9 of the report.

DAVID YOUNG
Director of Environmental Services

Background papers: Nil

Contact Officer: Paul Wilson Tel: 01869 241144

22 May 2002

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