I agree wholeheartedly with Carolyn Townsend - no matter what opposition to CPZ is, it will undoubtedly improve the situation. You only have to look at the empty spaces in Broadway during the day and often in the evening, to work this out (even with the loss of some parking spaces through CPZ). I too, am fed up with our road (Winchester Road) being used as a car park for all and sundry!

Sue Vernon at 17 May 2008 12:52 PM

It is important that residents remind themself WHY these CPZ consultations are taking place and WHO requested action to be taken.

The WHY: discourage commuters

The WHO: village residents

Another fact residents should remind themself of is that St Margarets has excellent transport links.
This benefits local residents and should also be
adequate for employees of local offices, shops and other establishments.

Design and Access Statements accompanying
Planning Applications by Developers stress that point as do Planning Officers when they recommend
Permission for applications that provide NO or
INADQUATE OFF STREET PARKING. (without having powers to limit motor vehicle ownership)

Our council would have done better bucking the national guidlines about the above rather than linking CO2 emission to cost of parking permits.

Parking issue has nothing to do with CO2 emission
and linking the two does only hinder the acceptance of a CPZ by some residents.
Detering commuters will reduce CO2 emission.
Linking CO2 emission to parking permit cost does not.
Sales of larger cars have gone up and sales of smaller cars have proportionally gone down since
the introduction of the CO2 based permit charges.

Sorting the commuter parking, where ever it occurs, can be done by CPZ`s.
Sorting out the problem of to many cars owned by residents is somewhat more difficult and I would like to see some suggestions from the public.

Gerhard Schellberg at 17 May 2008 9:43 PM

I once lived in a road that had a simple solution which prevented vehicles being left in it long-term by non-resdents, without any of the expense and administration overhead of a CPZ.

Monday-Wednesday: parking permitted on the left-hand side of the road only.

Thursday-Friday: parking permitted on the right-hand side of the road only.

Now this probably wouldn’t work in the St.Margaret’s village area, there are too many cars and the roads are wide enough that parking on one side only would be a waste of a lot of space. But you could do it like this:

Monday-Wednesday: Number plates with odd numbers must park on one side of the road, even numbers on the other.

Thursday-Saturday: vice-versa

Great fun to be had on a Wednesday evening with all the traffic as everyone swaps over! But I suspect the amount of “inactive” cars parked in the area would reduce quite quickly.

Just an idea.
Ed

Ed at 20 May 2008 5:54 PM

Responding to Ed’s suggestion. I don’t see how regularly moving cars would work in reality. How is it enforced? If you still need parking wardens then how are they paid for? What about people who go on holiday and so can’t move their cars? How big do the signs need to be to explain the system to visitors?

I currently live in the CPZ and think it is so much better than before. Not perfect, but I now get a spot near the house more than 9 out of 10 times and always get to park reasonably close. Before the CPZ this was not the case.I would think twice before moving to a street outside the CPZ.

Chris Watkins at 23 May 2008 11:54 AM