**THINK RESIDENTS' PARKING WOULD IMPROVE YOUR LIFE? READ ON...**
On 6 April 2009 Bristol City Council issued new consultation documents on Residents’ Parking proposals for Cliftonwood and Kingsdown. Please read this carefully and don’t forget you can still say NO
The Council’s consultation documents say that:
1. …a residents’ parking scheme “is planned for your neighbourhood”. In fact, the Council is only consulting on the possibility of introducing some sort of scheme – a residents’ parking scheme is not planned for your neighbourhood and you can still say NO
2. …just over 50% of people in the area supported a 24 hour scheme in an earlier consultation. However, that earlier consultation was seriously flawed and widely criticised, even by senior city councillors. It was undertaken entirely during the summer holidays when students and others were away and the results are meaningless
3. …a first permit would “cost £30; this is equivalent to 9p per day”. This is the way insurance is often sold - why is the council trying to persuade us to buy this scheme?
If a scheme is introduced:
4. …there would be absolutely no guarantee of finding a space. There would be fewer spaces (see 8 below) and so more problems. Ask friends in cities like Bath that have schemes - you can buy a permit but still find nowhere to park!
5. …using the Council’s own figures and average enforcement levels, the Council would make a £multi-million profit. Guess who would pay?
6. …the cost for a 2 car family, including visitor permits, a parking ticket once a year (it happens) and a bit of pay and display parking would be over £200 per annum. Just when household budgets are already under severe strain
7. ...the Council has said it may ‘limit each household to one vehicle’. Even if that is OK for you now, what if your circumstances change?
8. …your household would be allowed 100 visitor permits per year, at £1 each after the first 50. Once you have used them (don’t forget visitors includes builders etc) you would have to use pay and display (mostly £1 per hour) or risk a fine or being towed away
9. ...a family wedding or funeral, with all the attendant comings and goings, could use up all your visitor permits for a year!
10. …pay and display bays would reduce the number of spaces available for residents, as would a more formalised parking regime and any double yellow lines across driveways and elsewhere
11. ...fewer spaces would mean parking spilling over into neighbouring streets – causing problems where none exist today
12. ...house prices would drop as parking becomes more difficult
13. …businesses would be charged £100 per car per year and pay and display would replace free parking for their customers. Shops and other businesses would suffer or could even close
14. …we would have more yellow lines, signs, traffic wardens, tow trucks etc. Do you want this?
What can you do?
If you are concerned about all this, return the Council’s questionnaire with the words “NO RPZ HERE PLEASE” added. You can also write to your local councillors; visit www.bristol.gov.ukor call 922 2000 for contact details.
