A landmark consultation on proposals to make the majority of two Ruddington village centre streets ‘Residents Only’ parking during Monday to Saturday daytimes ends this Wednesday (November 6th).
The Nottinghamshire County Council (NCC) plans (which we reported upon last month) have certainly caused some controversy! If implemented they would make most of Charles Street and Parkyns Street unavailable for shoppers and other visitors from 8am to 6pm any day except Sunday, as shown on the map below. The only people who would be allowed to buy a permit to park there would be residents or business owners living or trading within the indicated red boundary:
Craig Baum commented: “Sadly another sticky plaster over a gaping wound. All I can see this do is actually reduce shoppers parking and in the day have large areas of resident bays empty – as usually Charles Street is the only place I find to park if popping in to grab something from the shops on the way through!”
But Kat Bradley said: “I think it looks like a great idea. People should be able to park outside their houses and their businesses without park and riders exploiting the free parking we have here. Permits are a great way to do that.”
It seems village centre residents and traders had originally asked NCC that two hour limited parking for shoppers and visitors should also be allowed within their Permit Zone – but this has been deemed too complex to implement.
The final proposals drawn up and published by Via East Midlands also include other, additional parking restrictions planned for Ruddington’s village centre shown below:
Mike Ader, Chair of Ruddington Village Centre Partnership, observed: “If we combine the impact of Parkyns Street and Charles Street residents-only parking with the other proposal that is currently being consulted on (double yellow lines on Vicarage Lane & Shaw Street plus more allocation for disability parking spaces) there will be a significant reduction in Village Centre parking availability. There is already insufficient parking as we know – this will exasperate the situation!”
Jane Glover asked: “Are they going to restrict parking in Co-op car park? All that’s going to happen here is those people that park all day and get the bus into town will just all park in there all day! It just seems a proposal to aid residents to park.”
Village centre resident Sarah Godfrey replied: “We don’t expect to get a parking spot even with this proposal. But if it happened we think it would make more sense for us to swap places with the park’n’ riders and, in the same motion, free up spaces for those crying out for them – shoppers!”
Richard Thomas suggested: “Why don’t they address the real issue – that people use the village as a park ‘n’ ride! A simple park and ride with free parking situated on the village outskirts such as the industrial park near Rushcliffe Park would move the whole of day traffic out and leave space for residents and those visiting the shops and keeping the village thriving. We need a well thought out plan – not just tinkering with a few streets!”
Ade Herbison commented: “You sense this is a real missed opportunity. Rather than make plans based around cars, why not make them around people? There are lots of advantages to making the village centre a pedestrian area – health of residents, safety of walkers and schemes in Birmingham and London have seen increased footfall for local businesses when cars are no longer the priority.”
Jane Smith agreed: “How about more people actually using their legs? The furthest houses are only a 20 minute walk into the village at the most!”
Ruddington Parish Council told RUDDINGTON.info it intends to decide upon its own response to the consultations at its meeting tonight (Tuesday 6th November 2018) starting at 7.30pm. Members of the public and business owners are welcome to attend – and will be able to speak on this matter.
Alternatively, you can email Steph Walford, Senior Improvements Officer for Via East Midlands, by tomorrow (Wednesday 7th November 2018) via tmconsultation@viaem.co.uk referencing TRO 8279 & TRO 8281. If your comments are in the form of an objection to these proposals you’re asked to state this clearly – and to outline the reasons for your objection.
UPDATE 6th NOVEMBER 2018:
At tonight’s meeting of Rushcliffe Parish Council, the vote was to OBJECT to NCC’s proposals for the introduction of a residents’ parking scheme on the central areas of Charles Street and Parkyns Street, operating Monday to Saturday 8am to 6pm. Councillors also requested that the proposed introduction of double yellow lines on Vicarage Lane from St Peter’s Rest Home down towards the entrance of Vicarage Lane play area should be on ONE side only. Our Parish Councillors AGREED with the other proposed parking changes within the village.
Shoppers, residents and traders must now await the outcome – which, of course, we’ll publish on RUDDINGTON.info as soon as we hear.
