Concerns over impact of parking zone limits (From Oxford Mail)
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Concerns over impact of parking zone limits
11:00am Friday 5th October 2012 in News
By Damian Fantato, covering Summertown, Jericho and North Oxford. Call me on 01865 425429
Brothers Sam, left, and Mike Diliberto are worried about the impact on their business, Giovanni’s Barber Shop in Magdalen Road
TRADERS and residents said last night they were bracing themselves for the impact of controversial new parking restrictions to be put in place in a matter of days.
The controversial controlled parking zones (CPZs) for East Oxford were approved by Oxfordshire County Council earlier this year and residents across the area were intensely divided by the issue.
A CPZ is an area where the vast majority of spaces are for residents and their visitors, using permits they purchase from the council, with a small number of spaces for short-term parking.
Parking restrictions in East Oxford were originally proposed in 2007, but were delayed by cuts and consultations. In January three of them were eventually proposed – Divinity Road, Magdalen Road (North) and Magdalen Road (South).
Eventually plans for the CPZ in streets south of and including Magdalen Road were put on hold in March after uproar from residents. But the other two are now going ahead.
Consultations showed residents in the Divinity Road and Magdalen Road (North) areas were in favour of the parking restrictions but those living in the Magdalen Road (South) area objected.
From Monday, October 15, the CPZ will come into force in the Divinity Road area.
And from Monday, October 29, the CPZ in roads north of Magdalen Road will be enforced by traffic wardens.
Iffley Fields resident Amar Latif campaigned against the CPZs. He said: “The feeling is that we should be entitled to a scheme which works for local residents but the council is adamant in pushing through these CPZs.”
County council officers pressed for the third CPZ because they were concerned about the effects of cars displaced by the zones which are now due to be enforced.
Now county council officers will be carrying out surveys to find out how many long stay, non-resident cars are parked in the area and will be comparing these numbers with previous surveys.
When asked what amount of increased parking would have to be seen in the area in order for the county council to go ahead with the third CPZ, spokesman Owen Morton said: “Judgements will be made in due course based on events and evidence, including feedback from residents and businesses.”
Sam Diliberto, of Giovanni’s Barber Shop in Magdalen Road, was against the CPZ because he was worried his clients wouldn’t be able to park.
His business is in the Magdalen Road (South) area so no parking restrictions will be enforced yet.
He said: “I don’t think it is necessary in any shape or form. It will make things difficult for our clients and if they find it hard to park I am sure some of them will go elsewhere.”
The county council’s deputy leader Rodney Rose said: “I look forward to the parking zones helping to address the transport problems associated with new development and a much improved parking situation for residents.”
Permits cost £50 each a year and each property will be entitled to two. They will also get 50 one-day visitor permits, 25 of them free.
For details, call 0845 634 4466 or email parking.shop@oxfordshire.gov.uk
Comments(8)
sparky123456
says...
1:40pm Fri 5 Oct 12
Bartsimpson_uk
says...
1:49pm Fri 5 Oct 12
Andrew:Oxford
says...
7:36pm Fri 5 Oct 12
Now that so many residents have demanded CPZs and streets are still full of cars - it must be time to start ramping up fees in order that the ratio of spaces versus demand reaches parity.
The average cost of insuring a car is now just under £900 - would it be that unreasonable for an annual permit to block a lane of a residential road to cost a similar amount?
The income would benefit everyone in the city.
Myron Blatz
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10:26pm Fri 5 Oct 12
NinjaBiscuits
says...
10:04am Mon 8 Oct 12
paul from Kennington
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4:49pm Mon 8 Oct 12
Geoff Roberts wrote:So jeff when your local Barbers has been "bulldozed" as you put it, how do you get to Giovanni's?. There is also not enough local business, so to survive he has to attract outside custom, and what "risk on communities" does his customers threaten. If you have a gripe with Giovanni's just say so, don't dress it up as a comment. This is a very friendly and well run business.
"Sam Diliberto, of Giovanni’s Barber Shop in Magdalen Road, was against the CPZ because he was worried his clients wouldn’t be able to park."
As much as I'd like to support small businesses I think there are too many people clogging up the roads, burning precious resources and inflicting pollution, noise and risk on communities as a result of travelling out of their own communities. Surely local businesses should be for local people (we'll have no trouble here)? In which case, why would a little shop like Giovanni's need any parking? Surely his customers are coming in on foot or using bicycles!
Of course, in other areas people will have no choice, especially when your local council bulldozes your local community facilities forcing people to travel out of the local community putting pressure on other communities.
paul from Kennington
says...
3:52pm Tue 9 Oct 12
Myron Blatz wrote:I am led to believe anything to do with The Uni is pronounced Maudlin (supposedly the look on Mary's face) whilst it is Magdalen if associated with the City.
Many motorists think they have a 'right' to park outside their home - with or without Parking Zones - but this is not correct. Even where Parking Zones are in-force, Permits don't 'guarantee' a Resident an actual parking space, but only the right to park if there is a free space relating to that particular Permit Zone. The problem for local shops and traders is that their customers need short-term local parking - which is the issue the Council seems either 'blind' about, or simply doesn't want to address the issue. Many of Oxford's streets - including Magdalen Road in East Oxford - were never designed and built to cope with on-street parking needs, let alone those of the 21st century. The massive increase in on-street and pavement parking in recent years, fuelled by more cars, HMOs and Student flats, has become a political 'hot potato' which councillors seem unable or unwilling to resolve - and where some Councillors want even more student Accommodation at the expense of parking and whatever social balance within established communities still remains, then the future looks bleak. By the way, anyone know why some people say 'Magdalen' whilst others think it should be 'Maudlen' .......?
Geoff Roberts says...
12:50pm Fri 5 Oct 12
As much as I'd like to support small businesses I think there are too many people clogging up the roads, burning precious resources and inflicting pollution, noise and risk on communities as a result of travelling out of their own communities. Surely local businesses should be for local people (we'll have no trouble here)? In which case, why would a little shop like Giovanni's need any parking? Surely his customers are coming in on foot or using bicycles!
Of course, in other areas people will have no choice, especially when your local council bulldozes your local community facilities forcing people to travel out of the local community putting pressure on other communities.