Issue details

Chalvey Residents Permit Scheme (Zone L) - Permanent Order

Background

Over the past few years Slough Borough Council has received a number of petitions from residents and/or have been approached by the local ward Councillors and residents individually, regarding the obstructive parking and lack of parking on the following roads; College Avenue, Martin Road, Chalvey Road East, Ragstone Road, Kings Road, 160-196 Windsor Road.

As a result, the Council has conducted a number of consultations since 2018 to introduce a residents permit scheme to several locations in Chalvey, however due to a number of issues we have been unable to progress with this scheme successfully. We have managed to implement a residents permit scheme on Kings Road and 160-196 Windsor Road during this time, but the other locations mentioned above remain unrestricted.

The consultations that have been undertaken to date have raised several issues and a number of amendments have been requested by residents which include:

• A request for 2 resident permits per household (we have previously only offered 1 permit based on kerb capacity).
• A review of the existing residents permit scheme on The Crescent to see if this can be included in the new proposals.
• A request to introduce this scheme as one large zone instead of individual ones.
• One hour free parking to assist visitors and customers visiting the local businesses.

The most recent consultation took place in August 2021 in which the above recommendations were included.

Consultation response

The formal consultation period commenced on the 20th August 2021; with the deadline for representations being the 9th September 2021. The proposals were advertised in the local paper, information relating to this scheme was placed on Slough Borough Councils website and letters were also sent to the residents/businesses directly affected by these proposals.

Please see below a summary of the comments received during the consultation:

• In total 628 letters were sent to residents/ businesses and out of these we had 55 responses (9% response rate).
• Out of those that responded, 78% confirmed they do have difficulty parking on their road.
• 47% support the introduction of new/ amended parking restrictions on their road.
• 53% were in favour of the restrictions being proposed.
• The residents in the existing zone L which comprises of The Crescent, Hilperton Road and Burlington Avenue, are in objection to extending their zone as they are worried about the increase in parking demand.
• The highest response rate came from residents of Kings Road who have expressed their dissatisfaction with the proposed scheme. They have stated concerns of visitors abusing the restrictions due to them being in close proximity to McDonalds and the Mosque and have asked the current restrictions on their road to remain as is.
The above comments have been taken into consideration and it is recommended to proceed with a residents permit scheme. The scheme will include the following:

• The existing zone L will be extended to include College Avenue, Martin Road, Ragstone Road and Chalvey Road East. Whilst residents of the existing zone L scheme have their reservations, the extension of zone L will mean they can also park on the other roads included in this zone. Furthermore, the restrictions on Hilperton Road and Burlington Avenue have been reviewed to increase the kerb capacity.
• Kings Road and Windsor Road will not be included in zone L and will remain as a separate zone (zone L1).
• The timings of the residents permit scheme will be Monday-Saturday 8am-7pm with an option of a “1 hour” Limited parking restriction and a “no return” period of 1 hour during these times. At all other times and Sundays, only permit holders and their visitors can park in this zone. This will not only benefit the local businesses but also assist residents as their visitors can park for free for 1 hour without having to utilise their visitor’s vouchers.
• Kerb capacity has been calculated for the extended zone L and 452 properties are to be included in this zone, with the kerb capacity being 361 spaces.
• All residents will be offered 2 permits per household as not all residents will need to park at the same time, however it will be made clear that this will not guarantee them parking on the highway and under no circumstance will a refund be issued. This proposal does not apply to the “even” numbered properties on Ragstone Road and 26 Martin Road as these residents have access to off-street parking. These residents will not be eligible to apply for a residents permit, but they can take advantage of all other elements of this scheme such as visitors vouchers.
• We are also recommending double yellow lines at various junctions to assist with visibility and road safety, this mostly includes upgrading single yellow lines to double yellow lines.
When designing this scheme, we have taken into consideration the guidelines stated in the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 (TSRGD 2016), including reducing street clutter. We have also assessed the road widths, one-way systems, flow of traffic and visibility at these locations. The regulations allow us to refrain from marking out parking bays which will maximise the kerb space, increase the parking available to the residents and reduce the number of signs that will be required. Furthermore, future maintenance of these lines will be at a minimum.

We are aware that the introduction of a residents parking scheme can result in displacement parking and therefore, when this scheme is introduced, we will closely monitor the effect of these restrictions and assess the impact on the surrounding areas. We will use any feedback given to us by the local ward Councillors and the residents to assist us in this process.

Ward Councillors have been informed of the above and it is recommended to proceed with these proposals as per attached plans.

Statutory Consultees
There were no objections from the organisations that were consulted according with the statutory consultees outlined in the Local Authorities' Traffic Orders (Procedure) (England and Wales) Regulations 1996

Financial Implications
The consultation and implementation of the scheme is estimated at £10,000 and will be met from the Councils Parking Revenue Budget.

Decision type: Non-key

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Notice of proposed decision first published: 27/01/2023

Decision due: 18 Nov 2022 by Executive Director Place and Communities

Contact: Savio DeCruz, Associate Director, Place Operations Email: savio.decruz@slough.gov.uk Tel: 01753 875640.

Decisions