LESS than a third of the money needed to implement controlled parking zones (CPZs) wanted in Oxford is currently available, according to the county council.

CPZs are now jointly funded by Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council and overseen through joint parking management arrangements established between the two.

They are expected to become increasingly important as plans to restrict traffic in areas for Oxford’s zero emissions zone – a world first – comes into force from 2020.

Much of Oxford is already covered by CPZs and three have just been implemented or are likely to be implemented soon – in Iffley Fields, Magdalen South and Wood Farm.

  • In documents, the councils say their top priorities – designated as Priority 1 sites – for any future CPZs are in Cowley Marsh and Hollow Way.
  • Priority 2 sites include Headington Quarry, Barton, New Marston, Donnington and Florence Park.
  • Less pressing Priority 3 sites are: Lower Wolvercote, Upper Wolvercote, Old Marston, Sandhills, Risinghurst and an extension along Abingdon Road.
  • The councils said the least pressing areas for them at present are Greater Leys, Blackbird Leys, Littlemore (South), Rose Hill and Iffley.

In a council report that will be discussed next week, Susan Halliwell, the county council’s director for planning and place, says implementing all desired CPZs would cost about £3m.

But the councils have got £861,000 to spend on them, so ‘some prioritisation is necessary’.

Oxford City Council has provisionally earmarked £200,000 from its Community Infrastructure Levy to contribute to the programme. The county council has said it has about £661,000 available for new CPZs.

Of that, about £250,000 is from its own capital programme; a further £411,000 are from payments to it from planning developments or highways improvements.

But any estimates of costs are expected to vary from one zone to another depending on the nature of each zone and size of it.

The councils decide on which CPZs to implement by factors including current parking pressures, future parking pressures, such as whether there might be future estates located in an area or whether they are close to employment sites, and any possible deliverability issues.

Parking surveys and initial informal consultation on priority schemes will be revenue funded from existing budgets.

Any of those surveys are expected to cost about £20,000 and informal consultations about £35,000.

Yvonne Constance, the county council’s cabinet member for environment, is expected to approve the path set out in the report at a meeting on Thursday. That will be held at County Hall, Oxford.

The county council has said that drivers ‘should check daily’ the bay they have parked in ‘has not had a suspension notice added’.

Motorbikes do not require permits – but they should be parked diagonally towards the kerb so they do not take up a full car or van space.

In March 2017, about 1,000 Cowley residents were asked whether they wanted a CPZ there. It was supported by 57 per cent of responders.