Has the Council got the parking wrong? - Clarification

Since I first published my blog about the current CPZ consultation I have been lobbied by a diverse group of interested parties, including local businesses, residents, charities, and environmental campaigners. The following hopefully clarifies the approach I am taking on this issue:

My current position is based on views put to me by constituents and other interested parties, including local businesses, on whose behalf I am trying to raise the level of debate, focussing on whether the proposals make sense, and whether, if implemented, they might have different outcomes to those suggested by the consultation. The consultation documents suggest, for example,  that the proposals will make it easier for residents to park.  It has been put to me that they may not, and that they may also have a harmful impact on local businesses, markets, local charities, and the wellbeing of older and more infirm people who rely on visits from others, often made by car, and for whom the new visitor arrangements could well be sufficiently complex to discourage visitors.  

It is a complex enough discussion to try and establish if the outcomes of the proposals will be as intended, especially given that there seems to be very little empirical evidence to support them.

If we start trying to debate the wider issues, such as the merits or demerits of parking controls in terms of the impact on the environment, whether these controls might encourage or discourage car use, whether controls are intended to reduce car usage or simply regulate parking, whether they make the environment safer or not, and whether we can afford to assume that all private car use is inherently bad and should be discouraged, the debate will unravel completely, which is why I am not attempting to address any of these points.  

For the moment, I am simply reflecting and representing what seem to me reasonable and reasoned views that have been put to me regarding the current consultation, as any Councillor should.  

Has the Council got the parking wrong?

Islington Council is currently consulting on changes (ie extensions) to the Controlled Parking Zones (CPZ) in five areas of the Borough.  The Council is arguing that in the case of the Arsenal matchday zone, the changes will eliminate confusion about which days there are restrictions in place, and in the case of zone 'B', that it will make it easier for residents to park in the evenings.

I have been contacted by a number of residents and businesses with comments about the proposed changes which make me think that the changes may not have the intended outcomes.

In the Matchday and zone B areas, residents say that at the moment, if they arrive home in the evening and there are no resident's spaces, they can simply park on a yellow line nearby, and then move their car to a space in the morning, which works quite well. With the proposed changes, residents would be forced to find a free resident's bay, which could involve a significant amount of driving around looking for a space, or  risk getting a parking ticket.  Also, in zone B, where the proposed hours would be different to the adjoining zones, there would be a greatly increased chance of residents accidentally getting a ticket for parking in a Zone B street after 6.30, or on Saturday afternoons and Sundays, which introduces a similar type of confusion to that which the proposals are trying to remove in the matchday zone.

Local businesses are also extremely concerned about potential harm to trade of the zone B restrictions, since it would oblige all customers visiting the area to find a legal space or get a parking ticket, as single yellow lines would be out of bounds. The Council says that the charge to park in a parking space would be only £2.40, but this doesn't take into account the hassle of trying to find a legal space, which risks putting a lot of people off coming to the area.  Also, particularly worrying is the possibility that both traders and customers of the Sunday Farmer's Market in Chapel market will be driven away by both the cost of parking and not being able to legally park near enough to the market to make trading or shopping viable. Some residents and businesses have also expressed doubt about the motive for holding the consultation over the summer holiday period, and have also questioned whether there is any empirical basis for the proposals, rather than just one person's view against another's over whether the impacts will be positive or negative.

It seems to me quite possible that these proposals would make it harder for residents to park, increase the likelihood of accidental parking tickets, and also damage local businesses, including the real possibility of killing off the Farmers Market, none of which would benefit local residents.

I would urge as many residents as possible to respond to the consultation before it ends on 7th September.   (Google - 'Islington Parking Consultation')