Issue - meetings

Forward Plan Ref: 2019/188

Contact: Hugh Potter, Group Manager – Area Operations Hub Tel: 07766 998704

Report by Director for Community Operations (Interim) (CMDE13).

The report presents responses received to a statutory consultation to introduce and amend waiting restrictions on residential roads within Bicester where parking - in particular by commuters – is resulting in road safety and access problems for residents.  The proposals put forward following discussions and site meetings with officers and local members will be funded by developer contributions.

The Cabinet Member for the Environment is RECOMMENDED to approve the proposed waiting restrictions as advertised.

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Blake Road – approved

Graham Road – approved suggested additional area on the corner of Graham Road/Bucknell Road.  Possible need to reconsult.

Windmill Avenue – approved

Fallowfields – approved. Local Member advised that after a 6 month review if necessary an extended restriction would be supported out of Councillor Priority Funding.

Green Close – approved

Lambourne Crescent – approved

Longfields – (& Fallowfields) – approved as a first stage.

Maple Road – approved

Moor Pond Close – approved

Barry Avenue – approved

Blenheim Drive – approved

Browning Drive – deferred further consideration and investigation. Felt not enough information to assess in full

Ewart Close – approved

Kingsley Road – approved

Shakespeare Drive – approved but implementation of the restriction be delayed until after reinstatement of normal levels of public transport.

Approvals subject to a 6 month monitoring review.

The Cabinet Member for Environment considered (CMDE13) responses received to a statutory consultation to introduce and amend waiting restrictions on residential roads within Bicester where parking, in particular by commuters, was resulting in road safety and access problems for residents.  The proposals put forward following discussions and site meetings with officers and local members would be funded by developer contributions.

The Cabinet Member noted the following statement received from Steve and Louise Dixon, local residents who had during the consultation sent their broad approval for the proposed parking restrictions but with a concern regarding the different timings for each side of the road and how that might not solve the issue (as most of the parked vehicles belong to staff from nearby Eden Cars who could just switch sides at the appropriate time). They were pleased to see that that concern had been addressed in the report. However, in their additional submission they had asked about the possibility of resident permits being provided to allow a second household vehicle or visitor’s car to park outside their house during the restricted hours as none of the residents’ homes, including their own, was adjacent to the area of dangerous parking at the top of the road at the junction with Buckingham Road. Family/visitor parking would therefore not affect the passage of traffic entering and leaving the road in any way whatsoever. As the intention is to extend the restricted parking some way into the avenue this would be a big issue for them as they only had for one car on their drive. If we are unable to have a resident’s permit one of our household vehicles would have to be parked outside a fellow resident’s property a long way from our home causing inconvenience to them. Also they noted that a few residents had suggested double yellow lines on the road which they felt should be disregarded completely.

Rachael Shaer spoke as a resident of Browning Drive for nearly 20 years. Their  home was just outside the proposed waiting restriction zone along Browning Drive and near the Kingsley Road /Bunyan Road junction and 2 houses from Harts Veterinary centre on Browning Drive. She stated that in all the time she had lived there she had never witnessed severe parking issues in the proposed area. She accepted that there would be increased vehicles and parking having a parade of shops and a veterinary centre close by that consisted of  very short term parking and as there were no houses directly impacted she could not see an issue. She objected strongly to the proposed waiting restrictions being put in place for two main reasons. Firstly, if this went ahead then cars which could not access Harts Vet small car park would then not be able to park where they currently do which was generally on Browning Drive in the proposed waiting restriction zone. Although near the junction that was very wide with good vision and provided ample parking on a long stretch of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13