Update 27 July 2012 - Statutory consultation

The results of the consultation along with your views and officers’ recommendations were presented in a report to the Cabinet Member for Environmental Sustainability and Regeneration on 7 June 2012, which is available on the Council website. After careful consideration, a decision was made to:

  • Not to proceed with the introduction of ‘MT1’ CPZ in Bramcote Road, Denham Crescent and The Close.
  • To proceed with a statutory consultation to introduce double yellow line waiting restrictions at key locations such as junctions, bends, cul-de-sacs and locations where traffic flow and sightlines are adversely affected.

See also

Informal consultation - January 2012

The Council is proposing to introduce a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) in Bramcote Avenue, Denham Crescent and The Close. This proposal is in response to representations and a petition (PT511) received from local residents who are experiencing parking difficulties in their road(s). Generally, residents feel the problem is being caused by:

  • Commuters who park and complete their journey by public transport or those working in nearby businesses.
  • Existing CPZ displacing parking into the uncontrolled area.
  • Residents and staff of nearby businesses within the neighbouring CPZ avoiding parking charges.

It has, therefore, been decided that the Council would carry out an inform/al consultation to seek your views on proposals to control parking in your road.

What is a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ)?

A Controlled Parking Zone is an area where parking controls are introduced to protect the parking needs of residents and their visitors, as well as those of local businesses.

Parking bays are marked on the carriageway to indicate to motorists where they can park. Yellow line restrictions are also introduced to improve safety and traffic flow by removing dangerous or obstructive parking. In a CPZ the operational times for the single yellow lines are indicated on signs as you enter the zone. In some cases there may be single yellow lines that may operate at different times and these will be signed separately.

Double yellow line restrictions do not require signs. In the absence of loading restrictions you may stop on a yellow line to load or unload goods for a limited period of time. All parking places within a CPZ are individually signed to ensure that motorists are aware of the operational times and conditions. This ensures that the bays are fully enforceable.

To minimise street furniture, every effort is made to ensure signs are placed on existing street furniture, such as lamp columns or signs are combined with other street signs. In a CPZ, residents, local businesses and their visitors are given priority to use the appropriate parking places by displaying a valid permit in respect of that zone. However, a parking permit does not give the holder the right to park outside a particular premise, and does not guarantee an available parking space.
More information about the operation of CPZs

How will it work?

All road space in a CPZ is managed by the introduction of parking controls. Parking is only permitted where safety, access and sight lines are not compromised. It is, therefore, normal practice to introduce double yellow lines at key locations such as at junctions, bends, turning heads and at specific locations along lengths of roads where parking would impede the passing of vehicles. It is also necessary to provide a single yellow line (effective during the CPZ hours of operation or at any time) where the kerb is lowered, i.e. at crossovers for driveways.

The key objective of managing parking is to reduce and control non-essential parking and assist the residents, short-term visitors and the local businesses. Within any CPZ, only those within the zone are entitled to permits. This means that long-term parkers will not be able to park within the permit bays during the operational times. An incremental pricing structure for second and subsequent permits also assists in minimising the number of permits issued to individual residents and help discourage multiple car ownerships. CPZs comprise of various types of parking bays such as permit holder bays (for use by resident or business permit holders and those with visitor permits); shared use bays (for permit holders and pay and display) and pay and display only bays (permits are not valid).

Council appointed Civil Enforcement Officers will enforce the controls by issuing fines/Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) to vehicles parked in contravention of the restrictions. Outside the controlled times the restrictions are not enforced. However, Civil Enforcement Officers will issue PCNs for any other parking contravention such as parking on double yellow lines, footways and parking across individual crossovers without the property owner’s consent.

The Council aims to reach a balance between the needs of the residents, businesses and the safety of all road users. In the event that the majority of those consulted do not support a CPZ in their road or area, officers may recommend that only the proposed double yellow lines identified at key locations are introduced to improve safety and maintain access. This would be subject to the Cabinet Members' approval.

Proposals

The proposals include a number of provisions which are detailed below. Please indicate your preference on the online system or reply card provided.

Operational Hours

All Day Controls (8.30am - 6.30pm): This will provide maximum protection to the residents by removing short and long-term parking. It will, however, be less flexible for residents and their visitors who will need to obtain a visitor’s permit from the resident they are visiting in order to park in the permit holder bays.

Part Time Controls (11am - 3pm): These operating times offer less restrictions on residents and their visitors than ‘all day’ controls. It is still effective in preventing long-term parkers. However, it may encourage short-term parking by non residents or businesses, such as shoppers outside the operating times. Residents returning from work later in the afternoon may find less available parking in their street due to this.

One-hour control (11am - 12 noon): This minimum restriction offers more flexibility to residents and their visitors than the part time day controls, reducing the amount of visitors’ permits they would normally obtain, and is still effective in restricting long-term parking. However, it may encourage other short term parking outside the restricted time, by non-residents such as shoppers and other residents from neighbouring CPZs. Non residents may also work their way around the one-hour by moving their vehicles and then returning to park for the rest of the day.

The proposed operational days include:

Monday to Friday: This will offer more flexibility to residents and visitors at weekends. However it may encourage non residents, especially shoppers, to park on Saturdays, therefore reducing available parking for your visitors.

Monday to Saturday: Provides maximum protection to the residents. However, it will be more restrictive on visitors who would require a visitor’s permit to park during the controlled times.

The standard prices for annual parking permits apply to all operational times, whether all day, part time, or 1 hour controls.

Parking Provisions: The following are incorporated within the proposed measures:

Double yellow lines at junctions, bends, ends of cul-de-sac and at strategic sections of the road to create passing gaps. This will improve safety and access at all times by reducing obstructive parking that is currently taking place. Shared Use Pay and Display bays are also proposed where it is necessary to allow non residents to pay for parking for a short period at specific locations such as near shops, schools, places of worship and also in areas for longer term parking where residents are not directly affected, to allow effective use of the bays. (This will increase the use of parking provisions in the area by pay and display customers whilst still providing unlimited parking facilities for permit holders)

Let us know your views

The decision on whether or not to proceed with the next step, which would involve a statutory consultation on the proposals, will be subject to the responses received during this consultation.

We would ask residents within the proposed zone only to complete and submit the online questionnaire with any comments or suggestions by 10 February 2012.

We regret that due to the number of responses received during a public consultation of this size it will not be possible to individually reply to each respondent. We welcome your comments on this proposal, which will be noted and included within the proposed measures where appropriate. It should be noted that subject to the responses received, a recommendation may be made to only include those roads where there is a majority in support of the proposals.

What happens next

It is envisaged that the results of the consultation along with officers’ recommendations will be presented in a report to the Street Management Advisory Committee and/or the Cabinet Member for Environmental Sustainability and Regeneration. Once a decision is made you will be informed accordingly. You may view the plans in Merton Link at Merton Civic Centre, Morden during our working hours, Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm.

See also

Contact us

Traffic and Highways
Merton Civic Centre
London Road
Morden
SM4 5DX
Telephone: 020 8545 4689
Fax: 020 8545 4865
Email: trafficandhighways@merton.gov.uk