New parking permit zone for Portsmouth
It's to tackle parking issues
The north of Stamshaw will be the latest area to be covered by a Portsmouth City Council permit parking zone under plans set to be approved on Thursday (August 10).
The area south of the park and ride down to, and including, Wilson Road and bordered by the M275 and London Road has previously been identified as an area with limited parking and consultations have already been held.
At his decision meeting, councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson is due to approve orders to formalise a permit parking system in the area.
“I’ve received numerous complaints from residents about parking difficulties in residential areas,” he said. “I look forward to discussing ways to address this, such as implementing residential parking zones in areas with a genuine need.”
Parking difficulties in the area have been exacerbated in recent years by the overflow of parking from surrounding areas, all of which are covered by other residents’ parking zones.
A report published ahead of next week’s meeting says some residents also “own too many cars,” reducing availability for other people.
Questionnaires were sent to the 1,381 homes in the area last September. Of the response, two-thirds supported the introduction of permits withe the remainder opposing the scheme.
However, there were more objections than comments in support of the scheme during the formal consultation held earlier this year. Sixty-two people wrote to the council in support while 77 objected.
Concerns centred mainly on the cost of permits which are charged at £30 for the first vehicle, £120 for the second and £300 for any extra.
Others warned parking problems were already mainly caused by residents and that permits would not make a difference.
Despite this, the council report recommends the zone be approved.
“Permit parking zones can be an effective way to manage the rising demand for parking on the public roads, particularly in response to the issues raised by local people,” it says. “In the Stamshaw North area, where the majority of households have no off-street parking, permit parking schemes help to allocate the available parking space more fairly among residents.”