Protest over Bristol parking zones
Campaigners opposed to the proposed Residents' Parking Scheme are calling on as many people as possible to attend a meeting on Monday to voice their concerns.
The outcome of 53,000 questionnaires sent to households across the city are due to be discussed at an extraordinary meeting of the sustainable development and transport scrutiny commission at 6pm at Council House.
The campaign group Keep Parking Free wants residents to show just how many people object to the idea, as the council plans to push ahead with two pilot schemes in Kingsdown and Brandon Hill, Clifton.
Of 72 neighbourhood areas consulted, there were only six where more than 50 per cent people said they wanted the scheme.
All six are around the existing Controlled Parking Zone in the centre of the city, fuelling fears that imposing parking schemes in one area simply pushes the problem elsewhere, the group claims.
Only 25 per cent of the forms were returned, around 13,000 households, but the council still wants to push ahead with the two pilots.
Set-up costs for the two pilots are around £1.2 million, which will be recouped over 10 years.
Eight out of 10 people surveyed said they were not happy to pay for the scheme, and opponents claim it is just a way to make money.
In response to this, the council has again dropped the cost of the permits, so it will now cost £30 for one vehicle, £110 for two and £310 for three.
Costs will be held for three years and then increased to cover inflation.
The first permit will be free for the lowest polluting vehicles and electric vehicles.
Each zone would contain a minimum of 1,000 households, and each will be able to have up to 100 visitors passes, the first 50 are free and then they cost £1 each.
Parking in pay and display bays will be free for the first 15 minutes and then £1 an hour.
Members of Keep Parking Free plan to ask up to 30 questions to get their point across.
They have described the pilot schemes as "the thin end of the wedge".
One of the organisers Bernard Cooke said: "There were 65 tick boxes on the consultation form. Why is this meeting being provided with so little information? What is the council trying to hide?"
"We don't know how many people responded in the areas targeted for pilots, for example.
"The council could, for all we know, be planning to spend over £1m on the basis of just a couple of hundred responses. Where is the information?
"The meeting is open to the public, and we would like as many people as possible to attend."
The group also said the areas targeted for pilot schemes are inhabited by large numbers of university students and staff, and that to rely on the results of a consultation carried out entirely during the summer vacation would be "preposterous".
Among the questions tabled for the meeting include asking why the council is pushing ahead with pilot schemes when most parts of the city surveyed said they don't want the scheme.
31 Comments
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by Rich Fisher, Windmill Hill
Friday, November 21 2008, 2:16PM
“I encourage you all to come to the meeting at the council house on Monday 24th Nov at the council house and have your say, 6pm. I have an idea to ease the problem, check Bristol Indymedia for the article called 'Residents Parking'”
by Sam, Bristol
Thursday, November 20 2008, 11:41PM
“Simon of Henleaze bleats:
"The council, which fails to spot the difference between Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Bristol, suggest we all use bicycles. How am I supposed to carry all my heavy tools around a city on a bicycle which is full of steep hills?"
Simon google the phrase "Long John Bicycle" or simply "cargo bicycle" into any good internet search engine such as google and you will have your anwser.”
by John Michaels, Kingsdown
Thursday, November 20 2008, 9:05PM
“This scheme is going to be fantastic. I live in Kingsdown and I cannot currently park my car anywhere near my home purely because of the numbers of commuters, students, hospital and university workers and shoppers who use the area as a free car park. The streets are currently clogged up every morning, with people almost abandoning their cars anywhere they can. They show no respect for the local residents, blocking garages, driveways and pavements. It has ruined this area for too long. It will be worth every penny to be able to park outside / near my house, and for my visitirs to be able to do so too with the visitor's tickets. Given the volume of commuters that won't be able to park here it is almost certain that I will be able to do so. BRING IT ON!”
by Alex, Bristol
Thursday, November 20 2008, 9:01PM
“Have you applied for one, Ed?
I'm sure the council will have put this into the consultation, no?”
by Ed, bristol
Thursday, November 20 2008, 8:22PM
“I provide a specific mobile healthcare service and I'm not sure how I'm going to visit patients in the RPZs. The council are very unlikely to provide mobile permits to us so they are denying housebound people healthcare.”
by Eanonn, Clifton
Thursday, November 20 2008, 6:18PM
“Ok how about this. I live in Clifton and walk to work near Cabot Circus. I have a car and could drive into work (and park on the edge of easton for free). I tend to just use my car at weekends and most of the time leave it parked on my road, or another street nearby, wherever I can find a space, which isn't easy usually. I don't see why paying to park my car nearby is going to improve the situation as there are enough cars around that belong to the people who live there. How is paying a load of cash to the council going to make a difference to that? It just seems like a tax to me.
Unrelated question, if you have residents parking for the area you live in, what do you do when you want to go to another part of bristol in your car, or if someone wants to come and visit you?”
by Simon, Henleaze, Bristol
Thursday, November 20 2008, 6:17PM
“Clearly the council doesn¿t live in the real world...
I lived briefly in London, for my sins, before coming back to my home town and if you really think that residential permits will stay at £30, you¿ll have a shock. Odds on, this will rise to the usual £90-100 quicker than you can blink.
Combine this with a proposed congestion charge and £1.30 per mile road tolls and you have to look at the implication all these proposals will have on the cost of living and inflation.
It would be a lot better if there were a viable alternative to the car, but there isn¿t. The council, which fails to spot the difference between Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Bristol, suggest we all use bicycles. How am I supposed to carry all my heavy tools around a city on a bicycle which is full of steep hills?
The council should stop trying to touch up Bristolians for more tax revenue and start being sympathetic in a time of growing financial uncertainty.”
by The Northsider, Gas Lane
Thursday, November 20 2008, 5:51PM
“Ulterior motive = Force people to use Park & Ride Schemes”
by I.R KITTEH, Bristol
Thursday, November 20 2008, 4:32PM
“People coming from elsewhere and parking during the day isn't much of a issue on my road, but come home time the road fills up and you can't park anywhere when everyone gets home as theres way to many multi car student houses and flat conversions, permits not going to change that.”
by Kelly, Hewish
Thursday, November 20 2008, 2:49PM
“My disabled mother lives at Victoria Park and does not own a car. When I go to visit her I can not ever get a parking place in the street let alone outside her house! People use her street to park and then walk through Victoria Park to the City Centre to work - Hill Avenue is a no go zone for parking Mon - Fri as this has become a car park for the City workers just described. I am all in favor of parking permits for the Bedminster area - residents may then park in their own streets!”