Drivers shuffling their cars from one parking zone to another are annoying neighbours in Hove.
Light-touch parking zones introduced in West Hove are affecting in particular people living in Lawrence Road and Raphael Road.
Their issues with parking were raised by a deputation to Brighton and Hove City Council at Brighton Town Hall this afternoon (Thursday 31 January).
The deputation was led by Ivan Lyons, one of the two Conservative candidates for Westbourne ward in the forthcoming local elections in May.
Mr Lyons urged the council to review the parking zones, having carried out a survey of people in the area.
A total of 130 people responded, with 54 of them from Lawrence Road in parking zone W, where there are parking restrictions from 10am to 11am and 7pm to 8pm daily.
The new neighbouring zone L has restrictions from 11am to noon and 6pm to 7pm.
Mr Lyons said: “In the afternoon you see cars shuffling in to Lawrence Road. I have witnessed this.
“At the very least the council should consult with residents in Lawrence Road and review the parking restrictions.”
More than 60 per cent of residents who responded to Mr Lyons’s survey wanted to see a change in parking restrictions.
Mr Lyons told a meeting of the full council that most people in Lawrence Road and Raphael Road wanted to see full parking restrictions from 9am to 8pm.
Labour councillor Gill Mitchell, who chairs the council’s Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee, said that the concerns raised would be “carefully considered”.
The issue will be brought before the next meeting of the Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee at Hove Town Hall on Tuesday 19 March.
Thank you for reporting this. I’m saddened I have to hear of the potential change to the parking restrictions via this page though when I live in Raphael Road! Mr Lyons hasn’t contacted me to do the survey. Nor were other people I know. To get a broad view all people who live in the vicinity should be asked as a significant number do not want 9am-8pm parking restrictions enforced. It would only result in higher parking permit fees and more revenue for the council rather than making our lives more convenient. Surely to prevent cars from shifting between roads, the simplest thing is to adopt the same light parking restrictions? How can we make such views heard before the next council meeting?
Kirsten,
I am surprised by your response as every household in Raphael road received a minimum of two correspondences from us through your letter box as well as a personal visit (if you were in). As a result – the majority of residents in your road completed the survey.
The key here is Consultation – which the council have not done with residents following the light touch scheme going live in west Hove in March 2018 as to the knock on effect. Hopefully the very high responses by residents in Lawrence rd & adjoining roads will kick start the council in doing something. If not? Residents will have their say in May’s elections …
I do not want this either. You are definitely not speaking for all residents in the zone. I want friends and family to be able to visit without paying the council to park in front of my house.
I am an employee who is guilty of using some of the roads in the area as well as moving my car to a different zone in one of the adjacent roads. Whilst I can understand some frustration of residents who have paid for permits as I too have experienced a similar situation when I lived near Preston Park where there are several office blocks, it does not appear to be an area with a particular overcrowding problem car-wise. In fact some of the roads are completely clear during most of the daytime and start filling up only when my colleagues and I are leaving to go home. I believed we were muddling along quite well and our employees park our vehicles with care and respect avoiding the obvious areas where residents have no drives and the like so are wholly reliant on the permit.
I would be interested to see if action is taken to further restrict parking or make it more difficult for businesses to continue operating in the area or is it the wish of some that more local businesses are forced into commercial estates and the like? We pay considerable business rates that, after all, go towards the local services that residents benefit from too. Most reasonable residents welcome business into their area (within reason)so I am certain if they are questioned fully they will give a considered response. If we just a la Brexit go in with the question ‘do you want the parking changed’ then I’m sure the result will be to the detriment of businesses and their employees. Some of my colleagues come a long distance to get to work so have no alternative than to use a car. We have enquired about business permits but the council only provide two or three per business so there is no other option for us.
Can we just live and let live and talk to each other rather than complain to an authority? If I parked my car where a resident objected I would listen and make sure I parked it more sympathetically the next time. Most people are capable of reason and adjustment in their behaviour without using a sledgehammer to crack the proverbial nut.
You can write or email councillors on the Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee. Membership details are listed on the council website here: present.brighton-hove.gov.uk/mgCommitteeDetails.aspx?ID=823
At 11 everyday, an almost empty Lawrence Road fills with local workers. I have on occasion, seen 5 cars come into the road, 4 of them park and the drivers driven off in the fifth! It makes you feel that it’s just used as a carpark. I have lived in the road for 21 years, and over the last three years it has definitely become an issue. Another point worth mentioning is that cars and vans are constantly looking for a place to park in Lawrence Road, creating more pollution and making for the liklihood of accidents.
I live in the L zone and don’t recall any correspondence. Were the entire L and W zones surveyed?
Appears to be residents of a few roads near shopping areas complaining. They’ve always been shopping areas with higher footfall and parking requirements.
Do we not want shopping and community spaces in West Hove? Same residents will no doubt complain if businesses in Richardson Road / Portland Road closed down.