Residents Permit Parking Scheme Policy

Introduction 

Each scheme should be considered on its merits and have regard to the needs of road safety, vehicles loading and unloading, short and long stay visitors including doctors and nurses, and in particular access for emergency service vehicles.

Constraints 

The primary role of a highway is to facilitate movement of traffic and it is maintained by the public at large for this purpose.

It should not be reserved for the exclusive use of a particular section of the community without good reason.

Residents’ parking schemes should not apply where waiting has been prohibited or is likely to be prohibited in the foreseeable future to:

• avoid danger to road users
• prevent damage to the road or adjacent buildings
• facilitate the movement of vehicular and pedestrian traffic
• prohibit vehicular traffic which is unsuitable for the road or adjoining property
• preserve the character or amenities of the road or area

Introduction 

This type of scheme provides that parking on the public highway is allowed exclusively for the residents of properties fronting onto or directly served by the highway in question.

Provision has to be made for essential visitors to the properties concerned, such as doctors etc, but is essentially preferential in its concept.

The roads or streets, the subject of these schemes, will be predominantly private residential areas where most properties served do not have off-street garaging facilities, or the chance of providing some, and are not located close to alternative off-street parking facilities.

These areas will be subject to all day parking pressures by adjacent businesses such that preferential parking exists in their favour to the serious detriment of the residents.

To achieve uniformity, potential schemes should meet each of the following criteria:

• the road is a residential street and kerbside waiting is acceptable on traffic, safety and environmental grounds
• parking of non-residents or visitors to the immediate area is not necessary to meet the needs of the area as a whole
• no possibility exists of frontagers providing parking spaces within their own curtilages or at comparable cost to themselves in the immediate area
• residents have no alternative parking facilities available within a walking distance of 200 yards
• adequate enforcement is available to ensure that a scheme will function
• the county council is satisfied following an investigation of the area as a whole that an equitable balance of conflicting demands of all road users would be achieved
• the county council is satisfied that an equitable balance of conflicting demands cannot be met by ordinary parking controls
• a sufficient number and proportion of the residents would be in favour of a scheme and would be prepared to pay such costs as were proposed
• a material factor is the availability of parking space to meet demand. If, therefore, it was judged undesirable for residents to park in a public car park, whether or not subject to a charge, then parking space would not be considered to be available. For example, the use by residents of a short term shoppers’ car park would be both undesirable and counter productive

Schemes when implemented should provide for the following:

• permits to be available to residents in the area and not only to frontagers to particular parking spaces
• the number of permits to be allocated shall not be greater than the number of spaces available
• the hours of operation to relate strictly to the periods when pressure on parking is most acute
• when the problem is created by shoppers and/or commuters, the time of operation of a scheme to be for the normal working day and no special provision for visitors to the frontagers to be made
• when the problem is created by summer tourist traffic the hours of the restriction to be adjusted accordingly and special provision made in the area for visitors to the frontagers affected. When visitors permits are issued they shall be valid for a period of three consecutive weeks and each resident shall be able to apply for two permits each calendar year, one permit valid for two weeks and the other for three weeks
• provision to be made in the order for essential users to the area such as doctors, nurses, and health visitors to park their vehicles
• provision to be made for the future removal of a scheme should it be found to be no longer necessary or should restrictions on waiting be subsequently required
• such other provision as may be required by the district council to meet particular local circumstances and subject to the approval of the county council

Introduction 

This type of scheme requires that time limited waiting restrictions are already in force on the roads in question or needs to be introduced to meet the short term parking requirements of the area.

Residents fronting or served by the roads in question are provided with permits which enable them to park without any time limitation.

These will be in predominantly residential areas without any off street garaging facilities, or the chance of providing some, located close to shopping and business areas where there is an admitted lack of short term on street parking facilities or conveniently located public off street short term parking.

In addition, the said residential areas will be subjected to an appreciable amount of all day parking by adjacent businesses and commercial activities, but where there are, although admittedly more remote, long term car parking facilities available within an acceptable walking distance. (These will be in predominantly residential areas, located close to shopping and business areas where there is an admitted lack of short term on street parking facilities or conveniently located public off street short term parking.

In addition, the said residential areas will be subjected to an appreciable amount of all day parking by adjacent businesses and commercial activities, but where there are, although admittedly more remote, long term car parking facilities available within an acceptable walking distance.

Justification will be established by applying the results of a parking demand survey.

To achieve uniformity, potential schemes should meet each of the following criteria:

• the road is a residential street and kerbside waiting is acceptable on traffic, safety and environmental grounds
• no possibility exists of frontagers providing parking spaces within their own curtilages or in the immediate area
• residents have no alternative parking facilities available
• adequate enforcement is available to ensure that a scheme will function
• the county council is satisfied following an investigation of the area as a whole that an equitable balance of conflicting demands of all road users would be achieved
• the county council is satisfied that an equitable balance of conflicting demands cannot be met by ordinary parking controls
• a sufficient number and proportion of the residents would be in favour of a scheme and would be prepared to pay such costs as were proposed

Schemes when implemented should provide for the following:

• permits to be available to residents in the area and not only to frontagers to particular parking spaces
• the number of permits to be allocated may be more than the number of spaces available
• when the problem is created by shoppers and/or commuters the time of operation of a scheme to be for the normal working day and no special provision for visitors to the frontagers to be made
• when the problem is created by summer tourist traffic the hours of the restriction to be adjusted accordingly and special provision made in the area for visitors to the frontagers affected. When visitors permits are issued they shall be valid for a period of two or three consecutive weeks and each resident shall be able to apply for two permits each calendar year, one permit valid for two weeks and the other for three weeks
• provision to be made for the future removal of a scheme should it be found to be no longer necessary or shall restrictions on waiting be subsequently required
• such other provision as may be required by the district council to meet particular local circumstances and subject to the approval of the county council
• consideration should be given to the grouping of streets on an area basis without attempting to limit residents to parking in any particular street
• if an adjacent street has ‘No Waiting’ restrictions, then residents served by that street should be allowed permits to park in the area under consideration

This policy was last reviewed in 2011. 

The next expected review date is 2024.