PEOPLE in Cutteslowe are set to have to pay to park outside their own homes in a controversial Oxford City Council scheme.

The area in north Oxford could become the fourth in the city to be given a controlled parking zone in the space of a year.

A controlled parking zone (CPZ) is an area where only residents may park their cars in the street as long as they pay £50 a year for a permit.

There are currently 25 of the controversial CPZs across Oxford and while some residents have welcomed the zones others have protested against them, claiming they only move parking problems elsewhere.

Zones were introduced in the Divinity Road and Magdalen Road areas by highways authority Oxfordshire County Council in October while a CPZ in Botley – the first outside Oxford city’s boundaries – is also on the cards.

Cutteslowe’s parking problems have been getting worse since Oxford City Council decided to start charging for parking at the area’s park.

Talbot Road resident Suzanne McIvor said: “The problem is that people park on the road either side of drives and opposite them so residents have no room to move out of their drives.

“It was a problem before buthas got much worse since the city council introduced charges at the park. It needs addressing.”

Harbord Road & Area Residents’ Association chairman Mike Langford said last night: “It’s up to individual residents to make their own minds up on the benefits of the scheme.”

But William Sabel, who lives in Harbord Road, said: “The proposals are promising on the basis that something must be done.

“I would like to see some improvement as soon as possible and I think that with a CPZ it is a case of having to face the inevitable.”

Unlike other CPZs where those without permits may not park at all, in the proposed Cutteslowe plan non-residents will be able to park for two hours between 10am and 4pm Monday to Friday.

County council spokesman Owen Morton said: “This is a scheme which is being promoted by local county councillors using their allocation from the area stewardship fund.” He was unable to say how much implementing the zone would cost.

Jean Fooks, county councillor for Wolvercote and Summertown, said: “Not everyone will like it but some people will. The charging has made the problem of parking worse. This is covering such a large area that it could only really move the problem to Kidlington.”

The county council is currently consulting on the proposals. To give your views on the plans contact the council’s director for environment and economy at Speedwell House, Speedwell Street, Oxford, OX1 1NE by Thursday, February 21.

  • The roads affected are: Banbury Road (north of Sunderland Avenue/Elsfield Way), Bourne Close, Five Mile Drive, Foxton Close, Harbord Road, Harefields, Hayward Road, Kendall Crescent, Kirk Close, Lovelace Road, Marriott Close, Riddell Place, Rotha Field Road, Sparsey Place, Sunderland Avenue (north side), Talbot Road, Lakeside, Linkside Avenue, Carey Close and Templar Road.