East Oxford residents braced for impact of controlled parking zone

9:00am Tuesday 30th October 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Damian Fantato, covering Summertown, Jericho and North Oxford. Call me on 01865 425429

Hurst Street before tthe Magdalen Road (North) CPZ area came into force Hurst Street before tthe Magdalen Road (North) CPZ area came into force

RESIDENTS last night warned they were bracing themselves to see how controversial parking restrictions would work in East Oxford.

Controlled parking was brought into the Magdalen Road area yesterday after a five-year debate about the issue.

Before and after pictures taken by the Oxford Mail show the new residents-only rules have already created more space in the area north of Magdalen Road.

But in Magdalen Road and the streets to the south – which are not covered by the restrictions – traders and residents feared the squeeze on parking would only get worse.

Amar Latif, of Warwick Street, which is outside the new controlled parking zone (CPZ), said he feared motorists would now park in nearby roads such as his.

He said: “There will be a knock on effect. It is a shame the council uses controlled parking zones as its only tool against commuter parking because it just pushes the problem elsewhere.

“I think it is important that residents in the area who have campaigned for a CPZ tell their neighbours they have a moral obligation not to park outside the zone.”

Sam Diliberto, who runs Giovanni’s barber shop in Magdalen Road, said: “I didn’t see any need for a CPZ in this area but by having one nearby it will create a problem.

“It will have an impact on our business. I have already had clients come up to me and ask where they will park.”

A plan for a Magdalen Road CPZ was first put forward by Oxfordshire County Council in 2007 and it split the community in two.

In response to public concern the county council decided splitting the community in two was the only way forward – and created the Magdalen Road North and Magdalen Road South zones.

A series of consultations and budget cuts delayed the planned CPZ.

Plans for the Magdalen Road South CPZ were put off earlier this year because of public protests and the county council decided to wait six months before making a decision.

The most recent consultations in the Magdalen Road North area showed 73 per cent of residents were in favour of a CPZ.

Hurst Street resident Anthony Cheke welcomed the new zone in his road. He said: “It is a bit early to say whether there has been an effect yet.

“I was always strongly in favour of having the controlled parking zone. The parking situation had become absolutely terrible.

“The problem is primarily down to student housing. In this street the amount of student housing must be up to 40 per cent or more and some of those houses must have 10 students in them.”

Two weeks ago the Divinity Road CPZ came into force as part of the same scheme, which was funded to the tune of £257,000 by Oxford University as part of an agreement to extend its Old Road campus site.

In total, implementing all three zones would cost £291,000.

Elizabeth Mills, of Divinity Road, said: “It has already had a really very good impact on car parking in our area and it is already showing promise.”

Rodney Rose, the county council’s cabinet member for transport, said: “If there is a problem with displacement what we can do is implement the controlled parking zone in Magdalen Road South.

“It is still an option and if there is a problem, as we projected all along there would be, the residents can grab that solution now.

“Parking in the area needed some proper control. There are not enough parking spaces in these Victorian streets. I don’t know of another way of solving the problem.”

Permits, costing £50, can be obtained in person at the county council’s Parking Shop in Speedwell Street. The first 25 are free to each resident but the second 25 cost £16.

Only two permits per property will be made available.

For details about the new zone, contact 0845 634 4466.

Comments (8)

1:16pm Tue 30 Oct 12

Andrew:Oxford says...

The traffic flow is quite simply amazing. I bought a few items last night in Waitrose at 5pm, then drove to Iffley visit a friend. Straight down London Road, along Gypsy Lane, Divinity Road, Hilltop Road, Southfield Road, Cowley Road, Howard Street. It only took 10-12 minutes and I only needed to stop at junctions or to turn right.

There is an interesting side to it though...

"Day passes" are already being marketed at £5 each. 25 for free, with a further 25 for just £16 will give a clear £234 profit.
The traffic flow is quite simply amazing. I bought a few items last night in Waitrose at 5pm, then drove to Iffley visit a friend. Straight down London Road, along Gypsy Lane, Divinity Road, Hilltop Road, Southfield Road, Cowley Road, Howard Street. It only took 10-12 minutes and I only needed to stop at junctions or to turn right. There is an interesting side to it though... "Day passes" are already being marketed at £5 each. 25 for free, with a further 25 for just £16 will give a clear £234 profit. Andrew:Oxford

2:46pm Tue 30 Oct 12

Whitto says...

Erm, that may have more to do with it being half-term...traffic flow is great this week. Try again next week
Erm, that may have more to do with it being half-term...traffic flow is great this week. Try again next week Whitto

5:45pm Tue 30 Oct 12

sparky123456 says...

right as a resident in the zone i can confirm the following.
Up to Sunday there were NO CPZ signs present in Aston Street or Henley Street. But there were signs on Stanley Road and Iffley Road. So it seems firstly residents have been forced to pay for permits but the council have NOT erected signage at the stated dates.
Secondly I am yet to see a single parking officer in the area at any time of day and the spaces in the area are already being abused by non-permit holders.
Every evening i arrive home around 7pm to find all spaces taken on Stanley Road and Iffley Road - last night I counted out of 13 vehicles (that I passed as I walked to my house) only 2 were displaying a permit of any kind.
The mosque on Stanley Road is the biggest culprit - every visitor there arrives by car but none have permits to park. they do so anyway in resident permit holder bays or even on double yellow lines. To be fair wherever they please.
Finally in answer to Andrew - A resident permit holder pays £50 for a years permit on presentation of proof of perminant residency. With that you also get 25 free visitor permits. You are NOT allowed to apply for anymore than 25 extra in any year and you must wait 6 months to obtain the additional 25. I have given half of mine to family and friends who visit. But I know some people (for example my neighbour) has sold some of hers to contractors who work for her (cleaners, gardeners etc) so they can schedule their work to cover various households in the area and use one day pass.
right as a resident in the zone i can confirm the following. Up to Sunday there were NO CPZ signs present in Aston Street or Henley Street. But there were signs on Stanley Road and Iffley Road. So it seems firstly residents have been forced to pay for permits but the council have NOT erected signage at the stated dates. Secondly I am yet to see a single parking officer in the area at any time of day and the spaces in the area are already being abused by non-permit holders. Every evening i arrive home around 7pm to find all spaces taken on Stanley Road and Iffley Road - last night I counted out of 13 vehicles (that I passed as I walked to my house) only 2 were displaying a permit of any kind. The mosque on Stanley Road is the biggest culprit - every visitor there arrives by car but none have permits to park. they do so anyway in resident permit holder bays or even on double yellow lines. To be fair wherever they please. Finally in answer to Andrew - A resident permit holder pays £50 for a years permit on presentation of proof of perminant residency. With that you also get 25 free visitor permits. You are NOT allowed to apply for anymore than 25 extra in any year and you must wait 6 months to obtain the additional 25. I have given half of mine to family and friends who visit. But I know some people (for example my neighbour) has sold some of hers to contractors who work for her (cleaners, gardeners etc) so they can schedule their work to cover various households in the area and use one day pass. sparky123456

7:52pm Tue 30 Oct 12

Carfax Cabby says...

The permit selling is very clever sparky, and it also helps traders carry on with their business, everyones a winner.
The permit selling is very clever sparky, and it also helps traders carry on with their business, everyones a winner. Carfax Cabby

3:12am Wed 31 Oct 12

Myron Blatz says...

Harsh reality is that many of the problem streets in and around Oxford were simply never designed to cope with so many vehicles - not just with regard to using the roads, but to parking on them overnight and also during the day. Nor were many of the houses on these streets ever built with a garage or driveway - and, with the huge increase in multi-occupancy houses and houses being converted into flats, this issue has grown out of all proportion. Today, people think they have a 'right' to park outside where they live - but outside Parking Zones, this is not a legal fact, only a supposition. Likewise, that people think that if they buy a parking permit, that they also have the 'right' to park in the parking bays restricted for Zone Pass Holders - only they's also be wrong, because all that a Parking Permit guarantees is the right to park where there is a free space, without being fined. As for traders and shops in such areas, the solution would be restricted free parking for customers only, backed-up by effective use of Parking Wardens to deter illegal abuse of such spaces during normal trading hours. For those who park illegally, then City or County Council Parking Wardens should be able to use side-loading lift-n-tow trucks to remove them - and the offending vehicle put into a compound with a minimum charge of £150, plus another £100 to release them. Similar punitive methods work in other countries, where over-crowding and associated parking has become a major problem.
Harsh reality is that many of the problem streets in and around Oxford were simply never designed to cope with so many vehicles - not just with regard to using the roads, but to parking on them overnight and also during the day. Nor were many of the houses on these streets ever built with a garage or driveway - and, with the huge increase in multi-occupancy houses and houses being converted into flats, this issue has grown out of all proportion. Today, people think they have a 'right' to park outside where they live - but outside Parking Zones, this is not a legal fact, only a supposition. Likewise, that people think that if they buy a parking permit, that they also have the 'right' to park in the parking bays restricted for Zone Pass Holders - only they's also be wrong, because all that a Parking Permit guarantees is the right to park where there is a free space, without being fined. As for traders and shops in such areas, the solution would be restricted free parking for customers only, backed-up by effective use of Parking Wardens to deter illegal abuse of such spaces during normal trading hours. For those who park illegally, then City or County Council Parking Wardens should be able to use side-loading lift-n-tow trucks to remove them - and the offending vehicle put into a compound with a minimum charge of £150, plus another £100 to release them. Similar punitive methods work in other countries, where over-crowding and associated parking has become a major problem. Myron Blatz

3:13am Wed 31 Oct 12

Myron Blatz says...

Harsh reality is that many of the problem streets in and around Oxford were simply never designed to cope with so many vehicles - not just with regard to using the roads, but to parking on them overnight and also during the day. Nor were many of the houses on these streets ever built with a garage or driveway - and, with the huge increase in multi-occupancy houses and houses being converted into flats, this issue has grown out of all proportion. Today, people think they have a 'right' to park outside where they live - but outside Parking Zones, this is not a legal fact, only a supposition. Likewise, that people think that if they buy a parking permit, that they also have the 'right' to park in the parking bays restricted for Zone Pass Holders - only they's also be wrong, because all that a Parking Permit guarantees is the right to park where there is a free space, without being fined. As for traders and shops in such areas, the solution would be restricted free parking for customers only, backed-up by effective use of Parking Wardens to deter illegal abuse of such spaces during normal trading hours. For those who park illegally, then City or County Council Parking Wardens should be able to use side-loading lift-n-tow trucks to remove them - and the offending vehicle put into a compound with a minimum charge of £150, plus another £100 to release them. Similar punitive methods work in other countries, where over-crowding and associated parking has become a major problem.
Harsh reality is that many of the problem streets in and around Oxford were simply never designed to cope with so many vehicles - not just with regard to using the roads, but to parking on them overnight and also during the day. Nor were many of the houses on these streets ever built with a garage or driveway - and, with the huge increase in multi-occupancy houses and houses being converted into flats, this issue has grown out of all proportion. Today, people think they have a 'right' to park outside where they live - but outside Parking Zones, this is not a legal fact, only a supposition. Likewise, that people think that if they buy a parking permit, that they also have the 'right' to park in the parking bays restricted for Zone Pass Holders - only they's also be wrong, because all that a Parking Permit guarantees is the right to park where there is a free space, without being fined. As for traders and shops in such areas, the solution would be restricted free parking for customers only, backed-up by effective use of Parking Wardens to deter illegal abuse of such spaces during normal trading hours. For those who park illegally, then City or County Council Parking Wardens should be able to use side-loading lift-n-tow trucks to remove them - and the offending vehicle put into a compound with a minimum charge of £150, plus another £100 to release them. Similar punitive methods work in other countries, where over-crowding and associated parking has become a major problem. Myron Blatz

3:13am Wed 31 Oct 12

Myron Blatz says...

Harsh reality is that many of the problem streets in and around Oxford were simply never designed to cope with so many vehicles - not just with regard to using the roads, but to parking on them overnight and also during the day. Nor were many of the houses on these streets ever built with a garage or driveway - and, with the huge increase in multi-occupancy houses and houses being converted into flats, this issue has grown out of all proportion. Today, people think they have a 'right' to park outside where they live - but outside Parking Zones, this is not a legal fact, only a supposition. Likewise, that people think that if they buy a parking permit, that they also have the 'right' to park in the parking bays restricted for Zone Pass Holders - only they's also be wrong, because all that a Parking Permit guarantees is the right to park where there is a free space, without being fined. As for traders and shops in such areas, the solution would be restricted free parking for customers only, backed-up by effective use of Parking Wardens to deter illegal abuse of such spaces during normal trading hours. For those who park illegally, then City or County Council Parking Wardens should be able to use side-loading lift-n-tow trucks to remove them - and the offending vehicle put into a compound with a minimum charge of £150, plus another £100 to release them. Similar punitive methods work in other countries, where over-crowding and associated parking has become a major problem.
Harsh reality is that many of the problem streets in and around Oxford were simply never designed to cope with so many vehicles - not just with regard to using the roads, but to parking on them overnight and also during the day. Nor were many of the houses on these streets ever built with a garage or driveway - and, with the huge increase in multi-occupancy houses and houses being converted into flats, this issue has grown out of all proportion. Today, people think they have a 'right' to park outside where they live - but outside Parking Zones, this is not a legal fact, only a supposition. Likewise, that people think that if they buy a parking permit, that they also have the 'right' to park in the parking bays restricted for Zone Pass Holders - only they's also be wrong, because all that a Parking Permit guarantees is the right to park where there is a free space, without being fined. As for traders and shops in such areas, the solution would be restricted free parking for customers only, backed-up by effective use of Parking Wardens to deter illegal abuse of such spaces during normal trading hours. For those who park illegally, then City or County Council Parking Wardens should be able to use side-loading lift-n-tow trucks to remove them - and the offending vehicle put into a compound with a minimum charge of £150, plus another £100 to release them. Similar punitive methods work in other countries, where over-crowding and associated parking has become a major problem. Myron Blatz

6:44pm Wed 31 Oct 12

sparky123456 says...

well Myron the reality is I don't expect to park outside my property but if the council says they are enforcing a CPZ on the 29th October then I do expect it to
a) be enforced
b) not be full of non-permit holders who now have no legal right to park there.
It just seems a sham that I've paid for a permit and the council can't be bothered to even put the signs up when they stated.
well Myron the reality is I don't expect to park outside my property but if the council says they are enforcing a CPZ on the 29th October then I do expect it to a) be enforced b) not be full of non-permit holders who now have no legal right to park there. It just seems a sham that I've paid for a permit and the council can't be bothered to even put the signs up when they stated. sparky123456

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