Our Live Twitter Feed...

Tweets by @ResidentParking

Stamford Parking Update

After much lobbying, Lincolnshire County Council has, at the eleventh hour, agreed a framework to allow SKDC to issue temporary permits which will allow residents exemption from the one and two hour time-limits on-street.

Excellent coverage on BBC Radio Lincolnshire this morning

There was excellent coverage of our campaign on BBC Radio Lincolnshire this morning. Listen to it here on iPlayer: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00x9xsr/The_Breakfast_Show_with_Rod_Whiting_05_09_2012/

There are two interviews and the coverage begins 2:38:10 into the programme.

SKDC Press Release

SKDC has posted a press notice on its website, here:

http://www.southkesteven.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=4643

We await the arrival of the actual consultation documentation.....

Ominously, the press notice is very short on detail about interim measures to assist residents immediately after enforcement commences.

The Latest from South Kesteven District Council

In an email to one of the campaigners in central Stamford on 21 August, SKDC Leader Mrs Neal said:

Stamford Town Council briefed on CPE by LCC Officer

At the end of June Brian Thompson, the LincsCC officer in charge of on-street parking, briefed Stamford Town Council as follows:-

• The CPE implementation date was still October 2012.
• APCOA would be responsible for enforcement.
• Nottinghamshire CC would be responsible for collecting fines.
• Residents would get one week’s warning/period of grace when CPE is implanted, after that enforcement would start.
• The best case scenario for the introduction of any permit parking scheme would be 6 months after CPE comes in: the delay is due to lack of action on SKDC’s part.
• SKDC Communities Policy Development Group would visit Stamford in July to assess the situation

Nobody from any of the Stamford community groups involved in this issue were invited to attend.

 

Latest correspondence with LCC's Executive Councillor for Highways & Transport

Richard,
My second sentence referred to an agreed arrangement of some kind between SKDC and residents, approved and implemented by LCC's CPE contractor, and legally enforceable.

I mentioned other groups as they would be consulted as part of the normal process for implementing a Traffic Regulation Order. You are correct that we would be ready to process an application at any time.

Stamford Chamber of Trade & Commerce President Opposes Residents' Parking Permits

On Friday 13th April, The Stamford Mercury reported:

Latest letter to SKDC Leader, Linda Neal

Dear Mrs Neal,
Thank you for re-iterating your political commitment on this issue, and for doing this so promptly.

Latest from The Stamford Mercury

Good coverage of the Stamford campaign in the Stamford Mercury on Friday 6th April: http://www.stamfordmercury.co.uk/news/local/residents-continue-to-call-for-parking-permit-scheme-to-be-introduced-in-stamford-1-3709724

STAMFORD: Response from SKDC Leader Mrs Neal.....

Mrs Neal last night sent out what appears to be a standard response to the many emails sent to her following the reporting of her recent comments......

An update from Cllr William Webb, Chair of Lincolnshire CC Highways Committee

I note the comments made by Cllr Mrs Neal but I am unsure if she is fully aware of the changes we will be making to our parking policy. We received comments from most of the seven district councils suggesting that the criteria for introducing residents parking schemes were too rigid – therefore, we amended this section of the policy to allow more flexibility. The changes were accepted by the Highways Transport and Technology Scrutiny Committee at their meeting on 12 December, and I intend to formally approve the policy, with amendments, early in January. 

Response from South Kesteven District Council...

Mrs Neal, the leader of SKDC has just sent the following response.....

Stamford Mercury Friday 9th December

A very positive story in the Stamford Mercury.......
http://www.stamfordmercury.co.uk/news/local/stamford_residents_dominate_parking_policy_consultation_1_3322936

Latest report in the Peterborough Evening Telegraph....

On Wednesday 7th December the Peterborough Evening Telegraph reported  that the LCC's consultation on a new draft parking policy has generated 133 responses – 66 from Stamford residents requesting new residents parking schemes.

We are still talking, but is SKDC listening?

After the good news reported in the last post here just over a fortnight ago, a number of activists from across Stamford met and wrote the following letter to Mrs Linda Neal, the Leader of South Kesteven District Council.

Stamford Updates

Update from LCC Cllr David Brailsford on Monday 14th November:
"Last Thursday, senior LCC Highways officers, a Corporate Director of SKDC, together with cllrs. Webb, Trollopre-Bellew, Hicks and myself spent the morning on a thorough fact finding tour of the areas of greatest concern with regard to the introduction of CPE.

"Residents are reassured over parking plans" reports Stamford Mercury

On Friday 28th October, Stamford Mercury reported:-
Residents have been reassured that they will have somewhere to park if parking wardens are introduced.
Leader of South Kesteven District Council Linda Neal said the district council would look to bring in a residents (sic) parking scheme policy if Lincolnshire County Council takes control of parking powers as planned.

The Stamford Mercury declares its support for Residents' Permits

The Stamford Mercury published the following in its editorial on Friday 28th October 2011

Parking Peril
Parking seems to be an issue for residents in all the main towns in the Mercury area.
With so many families having at least two cars nowadays, finding a spot to leave the car can be a real problem.
In Stamford, double yellow lines have been painted in Cherryholt Road, a residential street near the town centre, where residents used to park.
No one seems to know what lead to the introduction of the yellow lines.
Now it seems residents' parking permits could be on the cards for Stamford town centre. Good news indeed.

Stamford Town Council's view on Residents' Parking

The following letter appeared in the Stamford Mercury on 28th Oct 2011...

"The following recommendations made to Lincolnshire County Council and South Kesteven District Council by Stamford Town Council may be of interest:

1. All on-street parking for to be limited to two hours (sic), with the exception below.
2. No designated residents' spaces but town centre residents to be issued with one permit per household on a cost-neutral basis that will allow parking without time limit in any of the on-street spaces.
3. Yellow lines to be removed from areas where illegal parking has become established and obstruction is minimal (e.g. St Paul's Street, St Leonard's Street). This will generate up to 94 additional on-street spaces around the town.
4. Town centre workers to be issued with permits on a cost-neutral basis to allow free parking during working hours on the western side of the Cattle Market car park which, apart from Friday afternoons, is empty all week.

These recommendations are or soon will be in the public domain via the Stamford Town Council website/minutes from September meeting.
The problem is, of course, that Stamford Town Council is only empowered to make recommendations concerning parking - implementation (or not) can only emanate from the county and district councils who may decide to ignore them in their entirety.
MAX SAWYER
Stamford town councillor,
Waverley Gardens, Stamford"