After five consultations over the past decade, people parking in “Brighton’s last free city car park”, Hanover, are to finally start having to pay from October.
Councillors voted this evening to pass the recommendations following the results of the final, official consultation.
This s for a full scheme in the main Hanover grid and the roads north of the bottom of Elm Grove, with a light touch scheme in roads north of the upper half of Elm Grove, the top triangle of Hanover and the Pankhurst Estate. Some roads in Craven Vale will also get a full scheme.
A couple of tweaks were made to the scheme to help businesses and cyclists, but a deputation from people living in the so-called Top Triangle – Carlyle, Arnold, Lynton, Baxter and Cromwell Streets – was not successful.
Residents of these roads, who are set to lose half their spaces when pavement parking is stopped, voted strongly against the scheme, but were included in a light touch scheme to avoid displacement when the surrounding areas voted yes.
A group of residents conducted a survey which showed that 70% of households would now prefer a full touch scheme – but an amendment to delay introducing the light touch scheme there and other neighbouring light touch areas until it could be reconsulted was rejected.
Deputation leader Andy Knott told the committee: “All our streets are two sided parking and this will be changed to one sided parking so we will lose 50% of our parking spaces.
“At no point in the consultation did it indicate that a scheme could be divided in half. This divided scheme is a major departure from what we were informed.”
Green ward councillor David Gibson said: “These residents didn’t want a parking scheme. In March, it was decided that they would have to have one and within a week they achieved 70% support of households for a full scheme.
“It’s a clear view – it couldn’t be more clear.”
But committee chair Gill Mitchell said: “It would be entirely wrong of us to reconsult five streets without reconsulting the surrounding areas.
“There is a commitment to review the scheme after 12 months. There will be a review and any particular difficulties that have occurred since it’s in can therefore be picked up.”
Another amendment, proposed by the Conservatives, to introduce contraflow cycle lanes in those roads which are to be made one-way was unanimously passed.
And the Tories’ second amendment, to allow businesses which pay rates to buy unlimited visitor passes in batches of 50 was passed, with both Labour and Conservatives voting for, and the two Green councillors voting against.
Hanover has now been asked three times for a parking scheme. Residents rejected the proposals in the first two consultations, the second one being held in 2009. However, in 2015, some residents petitioned once again for a scheme, and after three consultations, the controls will now finally begin.
More and more cycle lanes as normal.
It’s about time these cyclists have insurance and stop using there phone while cycling.
They go through red lights with out any fines and Brighton has one of the most cctv in the country.
All this council are doing as normal is hitting car owners, reducing the road size in favour of students.
Some of us have to travel a very long way to work and car is the only option.
Thanks again Brighton council your fantastic NOT
It’s about time these car drivers started obeying speed limits, traffic lights, parking restrictions, and stopped using their phones whilst in control of hundreds of kilos of danger!
It’s about time they started considering their impact on the environment and on other people’s health as well as their own.
As for the naive comments about insurance and students, the majority of cyclists in Brighton are not students and, well, I have fully comprehensive insurance and legal cover for cycling, thanks.
No need to stop pavement parking. Pavements should be further used to provide car parking spaces as is done in other countries; where wide enough and safe to access. The city is growing, we need MORE parking, not less.
I live in the “M” zone where waiting lists are around 10 months. A parking permits will not solve parking problems. The program is wide open to fraud and abuse. Its harder to find a parking space in my zone between 9am and 5pm on a weekday than any other time. Its around 5pm on Thu afternoon and the spaces are starting to open up once again. The only way to stop parking problems is to ask residences to justify their requirement for the car. Price the permit fee at the same level as road fund tax.
And impose bigger fines for fraud.
Good news for Brighton! Cars-R-Coffins!
It’s first and foremost about revenue raising