A map showing the areas which will be made subject to the new charges

Pay-and-display to park on 27 streets

Report by Alex Evans, Reporter Wednesday, April 18, 2012
12:30 PM

PAY-AND-DISPLAY machines will be installed in Weston’s streets after a proposal was passed by North Somerset Council to charge for parking.

The new pay-and-display scheme will operate Monday to Saturday from 9am-6pm on 27 streets, costing the council £300,000 to implement.

Charges will be up to £1.20 an hour with a maximum two-hour stay, while permits for town centre residents will be available for £62 annually.

The changes will be introduced in September subject to a public consultation with residents and businesses over the summer.

Off-street parking charges will be slightly reduced, while a proposal to extend Grove Park into the adjacent tennis courts for more parking was also passed.

Permits for traders will also be available.

In future, more streets could be subject to parking charges, according to the report.

The proposal was passed despite opposition from a number of councillors who said the charges were too high.

Several also raised the point that the council has not done enough to consider the impact of ‘displaced parking’, where motorists park on nearby hillside roads which are not subject to charges.

Cllr Mark Canniford said: “Everybody said they would be in support if charges were set at an appropriate level.

“Well you have got that wrong and you have got it wrong big time.

“People don’t mind paying a reasonable charge but £1.20 an hour has lifted it above that sensible level.”

He added: “If this was a major company or individual there is no way the council would allow someone to deal with major problems like displaced parking after the event – your planners would turn it down.”

Executive member for highways Cllr Elfan Ap Rees said: “We recognise that there may be problems in areas outside the pay-and-display zone but until it has been tested we don’t know where the problems might be.

“We all know it will take time.

“But Cllr Canniford has got an interest in this as he’s a shop owner in the town centre. The less people pay for parking the more they have to spend in his shop.

“I cannot justify reducing the charges because that would mean it being subsided by the council tax payers and that is not what we want.

“The intention is we will be continue monitoring and tweaking it where we need to.”

Cllr Canniford added: “The reason we bring these issues up is because we represent the people in the area who are affected.”

He said to Cllr Ap Rees: “I assume you will just park for free in front of the town hall.”

Cllr John Crockford-Hawley said the scheme will not work unless civil enforcement, where police ticket vehicles parked illegally, for instance on double yellow lines, is also introduced.

33 comments

Now all we have to do is find enough people to copy and paste those true words to an email each to sand to He Who Thinks He is Almighty.

Report this comment

Neptune

Saturday, April 21, 2012
Ok so it may start as ...Dear Dave, As you aspire to put the Great back into Britain, we the residents aspire to make Weston 'super' again. Unfortunately we have to compete with some power crazed freaks on our local Council, with little vision of what is required to satisfy the demands of the majority of residents and visitors to our town. Please can you wave your magic wand to make them disappear and replace them with someone with some common sense?

Report this comment

TrueWestonian

Saturday, April 21, 2012
TW, Genius!! Good research, although I fear this story is about to be taken off, so, I feel a letter to Dave in London may be needed how shall we word it, what to say?

Report this comment

Neptune

Friday, April 20, 2012
Ironically, looking quickly, I found a site - petitionyourcouncil.com and guess what, I got this response - 'North Somerset Council does not have a petitions website so you can't make an online petition directly to them, or browse other petitions made by local people.' Strangely though, neighbouring councils, Bristol, Somerset & Sedgemoor ALL do have a site to petition the councils. So, theres no surprise here is there, I really just dont know how much more slippery Messrs Ashton, Ap Rees etc can get or run our Council! Certainly 'Transparency' or the abilities of 'Listening' or 'Understanding' dont exist!

Report this comment

TrueWestonian

Friday, April 20, 2012
Now where can we find a publication to support a petition web site?

Report this comment

Neptune

Friday, April 20, 2012
Good idea Neptune, however it is totally evident that the current wasters on the council dont take any notice of local (WsM) opinions or the outcome of their actions on future generations. Unfortunately, as the saying goes - YOU CANNOT REASON WITH STUPIDITY!

Report this comment

TrueWestonian

Friday, April 20, 2012
Sorry to repeat my self, I posted this on the save our gardens story:-.....Isn't it about time NSC put up an on line petition web page and when the request reached 3,000 they debated how best to implement. I hope that makes sense, who knows what I am typing after a couple of glasses....lol. Seriously, if there was such a site, at least there wouldn't be any doubt of the feeling in this Unilateral County

Report this comment

Neptune

Friday, April 20, 2012
These P&D machines will force more illegal parking and congestion into other parts of weston. No decrim of the parking enforcement puts it all on the police's shoulders, who have limited resources as it is, and i think enforcing parking contraventions won't be top of their list. It's time NSC stop living in the past, and move forward like the other councils in the South West. Here's a quiet thought for free parking. you can park in one of Weston's "longest and scenic"P&D areas for nothing, because the signs on display are wrong, and the whole stretch cannot be enforced. Whether it is actually enforced by the parking attendents, who i believe know it isn't enforceable, is another matter!! Just ask the council how many penalty charge notices were issued last year???

Report this comment

Nume

Friday, April 20, 2012
To the chap who says you can't get to Cribbs for 40p, that is true. However, Cribbs has 10 times the selection that the town centre offers. Worth the trip and parking couldn't be easier (or cheaper!).

Report this comment

weston41

Friday, April 20, 2012
popeye, how long do you think you have left as a small shop keeper in Weston .Not long I expect.There has been no inforcement of parking in Weston for some time (years) traffic wardens would be self financing from fines issued.This would leave parking spaces being regularly vacated.At no cost to local residence.

Report this comment

alcaz

Friday, April 20, 2012
I don't understand most of these comments. At the moment shoppers can't park on the streets in the town centre because the spaces are full with illegal parkers. The council could charge £1000 per hour and it wouldn't make any difference to the number of shoppers parking in the town centre. The proposed changes can only help businesses; I'll happily pay to park where I want to park and I know I'm not the only one.

Report this comment

2Phat

Thursday, April 19, 2012
This plan will simply make illegal parking worse, NOT BETTER. Well done Ap Rees

Report this comment

Mark Canniford

Thursday, April 19, 2012
This plan will not help the illegal parking issues it will simply make it worse. Well done Cllr Ap Rees

Report this comment

Mark Canniford

Thursday, April 19, 2012
Gruf. In response to your comment... When I enrolled my son to this school, we lived local, we have since moved. regardless of this there are a number of parents who do have to drive into the school for various reasons. Once this comes into play the council will have created more problems, additonal overcrowding and dangerous parking on neighbouring streets. I am just looking at this on the angle that affects me and others that I know, never mind the teachers that now won't be able to park local, local residents who have guests visiting. Another crazy idea from the Council in a bid to gain back some of their over spend money!!! Very clever!

Report this comment

Mumsy

Thursday, April 19, 2012
As the Meercat would say ... Just recruit some Wardens to monitor and deter the current issue, gain income from Fines, and save the £300,000K, - Simples, Trouble is, a Meercat has more intelligence that Ap Rees!

Report this comment

TrueWestonian

Thursday, April 19, 2012
So to cut a long story short.... i) If I still lived on Coombe Road I'd be screwed as everyone and his wife would now be about to park on my road... ii) If I want to go into the town centre for anything short of buying a new 3-piece-suite (which I would go out-of-town for anyway) it would cost me a massive percentage of my overall spend to park... iii) if I lived on one of these streets, as well as paying ROAD TAX and COUNCIL TAX I'd also have to pay a new tax to park outside my house, in a car I pay to tax, on a road I pay tax to use... ...it's enough to make me want to become a councillor, but I fear I'd get into too many arguments that I'd win on common sense but lose on politics....

Report this comment

Big Dave

Wednesday, April 18, 2012
to mumsy wouldnt it have made more sense to send your child to a school nearer to your home rather than create congestion especialy on baker street where parking does cause problems for residents as for not wanting to pay to pick your child up its going to happen so start saving its gonna get expensive

Report this comment

gruf

Wednesday, April 18, 2012
I'm really pleased this has been approved, illegal and selfish parking has been tolerated for far too long. This can only benefit town centre businesses.

Report this comment

2Phat

Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Unlike Mr Ap Rees I have had my own business in Bristol and know how vital passing trade is to shopkeepers. I use Pet & Pond in Orchard Street because I BELIEVE IN SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESSES. However, why should I pay extra to support the town when I can drive just a mile away and park for FREE outside Pets at Home? The number of empty shops in Orchard Street & Meadow Street is increasing. That means less business rates for the council and consequently makes the area less attractive to shoppers. The more I see of NSC the more I despair. Rather than SELL the Tropicana to Nightingale they would prefer to SPEND £700k of OUR MONEY to knock it down. That alone shows they are incompetent and could not run a booze up in a brewery!

Report this comment

Weston Resident

Wednesday, April 18, 2012
I appreciate the local shop keepers comments, however my child goes to school on Baker Street and parking is a nightmare in the area at the best of times, with the introduction of P & D spaces, the 9am school run will be okay, however why should we have to pay to collect our children from school at 3.15pm?? I live out of town and travel in each day. parking further away from the school will be near impossible as the roads without the P & D meters will then be more congested with more dangerous parking than what exists now. Total disgrace. We have this evening discussed moving our son to another school, hope the coucil is pleased with their new scheme and the effects it is having on peoples lives and childrens education!

Report this comment

Mumsy

Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Hourly rate £1.20. Implementation £300 000. NSC's utter incompetence...PRICELESS. What is one of the attractions of out of town retail centres? - FREE and easy parking. If this concept was commercially sound you could be certain that they would be charging us. Anyway no worries - double yellows are still free!

Report this comment

keith

Wednesday, April 18, 2012
As a small shop owner in town I welcome this introduction - why, the 1 hour spaces around me have the same cars parked there all day. My customer have no hope of getting a space. Who is at fault ? The Council, The police..........no the person who parks there. It may be the police who do not enforce and thats a different subject. I want the council to enforce, thus creating spaces. Do I want them to be free, no as this would mean i would have to pay for the enforcement through my council tax. I understand its min 40p, if you can get to cribbs for that best of luck. Long Q's off the motorway long Q's to get on the motorway and traffic on the motoway as well as fuel costs.I welcome the fuel stike it might mean people will respect what they have in WsM. No good complaining about the shops in WsM if they always go to cribbs, who is supposed to then support the local shops hence its a snowball effect. Support what we have and it will grow!

Report this comment

Popeye

Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Feel sorry for the small business's in the town centre trying to make a living, they are completely up against it with a council that does not care or understand business. These clowns on the council have destroyed wsm over a period of 30 years. Vote them out and get people in that care about wsm.

Report this comment

slips

Wednesday, April 18, 2012
A a Worle resident,is there any need to go to town? We have a fantastic shopping centre in Worle High Street,a few supermarkets and out of town centres with FREE PARKING,and 20 minutes up the M5,Cribbs Causeway. Sorted...

Report this comment

hills

Wednesday, April 18, 2012
It's not costing the council £300,000 to implement. It's costing us £300,000!

Report this comment

DA

Wednesday, April 18, 2012
It's not costing the council £300,000 to implement. It's costing us £300,000!

Report this comment

DA

Wednesday, April 18, 2012
The weekday rule will also apply on Saturday as well!

Report this comment

DA

Wednesday, April 18, 2012
R.I.P. town centre it is. Seriously, the people of Locking and Hutton have a huge amount to answer for.

Report this comment

Weston2010

Wednesday, April 18, 2012
According to NSC's website the £62 fee for residents parking will mean that they will only be able to park up to 10am in the morning and then after 5pm in the afternoon. Between 10am and 5pm weekdays they will have to find another street to park on or pay another £200 pa to park in a council operated long stay car park like Locking Rd.

Report this comment

DA

Wednesday, April 18, 2012
I found the solution....if you get into your car, and drive about 25 minutes north up the M5 from Weston, you'll come to junction 17. Just off there, you will find Cribbs Causeway. They have FREE parking, and actual shops, not just card shops and cheap tack shops, ACTUAL shops. Problem solved.

Report this comment

Savage

Wednesday, April 18, 2012
To the business man who only requested a street be made one way, it's not your fault........we have numpties on the council who do not listen to sensible suggestions.

Report this comment

Neptune

Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Times like this I'm glad I don't own a car. That said maybe the police should take parking lessons first. I watched a bus having to wait last Friday because two police officers decided they wanted a drink and parked their car on the pedestrianised area outside Cost Coffee in Regent Street, right where the road narrows. I never realised that coffee was an emergency that justified blocking the highway.

Report this comment

Maxwell

Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Do we need any any more proof as to who the decision maker on NSC is?

Report this comment

Neptune

Wednesday, April 18, 2012