North Somerset Council trialling PSPO for inconsiderate car parking
Recycling and refuse crews in parts of North Somerset are taking part in a trial, to tackle vehicles blocking waste collections
Last updated 5th Sep 2024
From today (4 March), North Somerset Council's trialling a Public Space Protection Order scheme on three roads in Portishead.
It's as they say recycling and refuse crews have had 'significant problems collecting' from some areas because of inconsiderately parked cars.
Under the PSPO, those who repeatedly park vehicles in a way that blocks their trucks getting thorough could be fined.
The three Portishead roads where this trial is taking place are Teal Way, Shannon Walk and Curlew Place - in all of which crews say they've experienced issues with parked vehicles obstructing the road when recycling and waste collections are taking place.
Under their count, North Somerset Council say there were 47 incidents in 2023 in which parked cars disrupted collection crews - meaning they had to come back again, sometimes a number of times, to collect recycling and waste.
The local authority means that's both 'inconveniencing residents and costing taxpayers money'.
The PSPO will be enforced on collection days from 9am to 11am.
During that time, parked vehicles that block access for collection crews on those three roads in Portishead will be reported for breach of PSPO.
The council will warn people whose parking has blocked collection vehicles, and if they are reported three times then they will face a fine enforced by the council.
Councillor Annemieke Waite, North Somerset Council’s Executive Member for Climate, Waste and Sustainability, said: “Obstructive parking can have a significant impact, preventing waste collection crews from carrying out their collections as planned. This causes inconvenience to residents, as crews can’t collect their recycling and waste on the correct day.
“Crews then need to return – sometimes multiple times – to complete their work. These extra journeys also negatively impact the environment, requiring more fuel and contributing to emissions.
“Poor parking can also put lives at risk when emergency vehicles are unable to pass.
"We encourage everybody to park responsibly, and thank those residents who already do. We hope that trialling a Public Space Protection Order in these three streets will make the kerbside recycling and waste collection service more reliable for everyone, as our crews will be able to collect recycling and waste on time.”
Councillor Caritas Charles, North Somerset Council ward member for Portishead East, said: “I am happy that we are working with local residents to find a solution to this problem. We need to ensure that our collection crews can safely and easily gain access to these streets to collect recycling and waste, something that many residents have written to me with concerns about. We hope this trial will be a success and balance the need for access with people’s parking requirements.”
To find out more about Public Space Protection Orders in North Somerset, visit the council’s website.
llotment rents in Bristol are still set for massive increase but not until next year
Allotment rents in Bristol are still going to have massive increases but these will be staggered over two years. The first half of the rent hike will take place next year, and the second half will be introduced in 2026.
There are 4,500 allotment plots in the city and Bristol City Council has not increased the rent since 2018. There are also about 6,500 people waiting for an allotment. While the council scrapped controversial changes to allotment rules, rent increases are still going ahead.
The allotment service was hit hard by austerity and government spending cuts, councillors on the communities scrutiny commission were told on Tuesday, February 27. A growing backlog of repairs and years without rent increases has now left the service struggling to make ends meet.
Jon James, head of natural and marine environment, said: “We’ve had maintenance and staffing budgets reduced. That’s resulted in a decline in what we can actually do. We’ve looked at what investment we need to make so that we can start improving and addressing the backlog of maintenance, like repairs to water supply and fences.
“We’re currently just responding to effectively emergency work. We’re not in a position where we can proactively manage our sites. That’s what we want to focus the income on, so we can start a programme of work addressing that.”
Council officers estimated how much they need to spend to address the maintenance backlog over the next 15 years, and used that figure to come to the proposed rent increases. The target is to raise £55,000 extra income from rents, to help pay towards the ongoing maintenance.
Patsy Mellor, director of management of place, added: “We heavily subsidise the allotment service, but we’ve reduced that subsidy by about £55,000 by increasing the rent. It will not turn into a profit-making scenario. The council will still be heavily subsidising the allotments.”
A protest against the rent rises is planned at 12pm on Sunday, March 3. Bristol Allotmenteers Resist said on social media the protest would be a “joyful and mischievous celebration of allotments and telling Bristol City Council they can stuff their excessive rent rises up their asparagus”. The growing organisation of allotmenteers was welcomed by the cabinet member.
Labour Councillor Ellie King, cabinet member for public health and communities, said: “We have to respond to dissatisfaction that’s growing in the service, and also the stress within the service and the very small office team. I want it to be a service that we’re proud of, so we have to work together to try and improve that, for the benefits of all.
“Staggering the rent should make it a lot more manageable. With all sensitivity to the upset that it’s caused, there could be a positive in that as well. Mobilising activism is something that we should be proud of and encouraging. What could that group achieve collectively? I think it’s exciting to have a new group that’s formed with this collective aim.”
The rent increases are likely to be approved by the cabinet during a public meeting on Tuesday, March 5. Cabinet reports gave details of how much the fees will increase per size of the plot.
Rent for a medium-size plot with water will increase from £70 to £113 next year, and then £156 in 2026. A small plot will increase from £50 to £69 and then £89. A large plot will increase from £85 to £117 and then £178. New discounts will be offered including for people on low incomes, or with plots that flood or are overgrown.