Hackney Council - Controlled parking

I wrote a personal letter to Hackney Council asking some of these questions, and below are the answers I was given by Sandra, from the Corporate Contact Centre, Policy and Communications dept. in response to my letter.

I have combined the 2 letters into a questions and answers / point-by-point summary so as to make it easier to relate information.

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Email received - Mon 07/07/2003 14:30

Dear Mr Simpson,

Thank you for your email regarding controlled parking zones.  I will answer your questions point by point.

- will the cost of the permits remain permanently at the level at which they are introduced, with the exception of inflation related rises, or will the council be able to raise the price at will?

The Council will be able to raise the price of permits in the future.

- will the number of visitor permits to be issued to each household/resident be restricted in any way?

The number of visitors’ permits that may be purchased is unlimited.  However, if an enormous amount of visitors permits are purchased by one person on one occasion, e.g. 1 thousand permits, then staff will question the resident as to why this is.

- will permits be issued on a per vehicle basis (according to proof of address) or a per household basis (according to address)?

Permits will be issued on a per vehicle basis.  However, this is dependent upon the availability of parking space.  If there are more vehicles than parking spaces available, then surrounding streets will be made available for parking.

- will vehicles that are not registered in the area, but whose owners live, and can prove they live, in the area, be allowed permits for such vehicles?

Permits will be issued, provided that a resident can prove they live in the area.  Acceptable proof is council tax bill and driver's licence.  We do not check vehicle registration.

-what are the proposed operating times of the restrictions?

The proposed operating times of the restrictions is Monday - Saturday 8am - 6.30pm. There are no restrictions on Sundays.  Please note that Lea Bridge Road has a bus lane on one side of the road and a single yellow line on the opposite side of the road.

-will residents on the Lea Bridge Road be eligible for permits to park in the surrounding roads such as Thistlewaite road, Newick road, Cotesbach road and Cornthwaite road?

Residents of Lea Bridge Road may park in the surrounding roads that you mention.  There are no parking restrictions on these roads apart from single yellow lines at junctions.

- what penalties will be issued to vehicles that are parked in the controlled zone during its hours of operation without permits, i.e. will they be ticketed, clamped or removed?

Cars that are parked illegally will be subject any of the penalties that you mention - ticket, clamp, or removal.

-and most importantly - will the number of parking spaces created be directly proportional to the number of permits issued; can you guarantee emphatically that you will create the same amount of parking spaces as the number of permits issued, and that if the number of permits issued should rise above the number of spaces available, that you will create more parking spaces?

In any controlled parking zone, we try to match the number of parking spaces to the number of houses.  If there are more homes than parking spaces, then, we try to give residents the option of parking in surrounding roads.

- have you done, or are you planning on doing, any research to establish the number of local residents who will need permits?

Residents are consulted prior to implementing parking restrictions in order to establish the need for parking spaces. (I have received no consultation papers)

- will any of the income generated from the scheme be used to improve the local roads, with particular reference to security, in an area with very high car crime? Cornthwaite road is plagued by constant 'car break-ins'.. a police security camera mounted in the street would be a very useful deterrent. Can you confirm if any such schemes are planned and if they are will they be funded by money raised from parking charges and penalties.

Money generated from parking restrictions goes toward a variety of council services including road improvement, such as, gullies, street lighting, road lining, potholes and road signs.  CCTV coverage is normally restricted to main roads as these are considered to be high priority.

If you need further help or information, please contact the Contracts and Engineering Section on 020 8356 8290.

Regards
Sandra
Corporate Contact Centre
Policy and Communications

(the contents of this letter have been printed with the knowledge and consent of the sender)

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As stated in my original letter I asked many of the above questions primarily to establish whether the motives for introducing of such a scheme are to help local residents, or simply to generate even more income from and already very heavily taxed, and poorly served community.

Many people are suspicious of any new schemes introduced by local authorities that involve costs to local residents, and rightly so. It has become apparent in recent years that many London authorities rely heavily on funds raised from parking charges and penalties, and are always seeking ways to increase that revenue ‘by any means possible’.

It has therefore become our duty to assess any new scheme in terms of usefulness to local residents, and if we decide it is not being introduced primarily for our benefit, then we should oppose it.

As far as the Clapton residents controlled parking scheme is concerned, many resident have expresses support for the scheme, as there is indeed overcrowding in many of the roads discussed. Whether such a scheme will alleviate the problem is a matter of conjecture.

One should also bear in mind that once a system is in place, whether it is a success or not, it is unheard of for a controlled parking scheme to be removed, so local residents will be burdened with the costs permanently. Combine that with the fact that the council has the authority to raise the cost of permits at will, apparently without consultation, and suddenly the luxury of being able to park outside your house becomes a decision that should, perhaps, not be taken so lightly.

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This Page was last update: Friday, July 11, 2003 at 11:10:04 PM
This page was originally posted: 7/11/2003; 10:54:36 PM.
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