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Town parking scheme in place next month
Published Friday 1st July 11
A residents’ parking scheme to stop commuters clogging up the streets around Wellingborough train station is set to be in place at the beginning of August.
Residents have complained for a number of years that they are unable to find parking spaces as a result of people leaving their cars on a number of residential streets to avoid paying station parking charges.
From 8 August anyone who wants to park in the nearby streets will have to display a permit between the hours of 9am-12 noon Monday to Friday. The permit area covers Chace Road, Colwell Road, Chester Road, Dryden Road, Senwick Road, and parts of Midland Road, Talbot Road and Elsden Road, and will be marked by signs to remind drivers of the restrictions. Initially, residents' permits will cost £25 a year.
The scheme was first discussed back in 2009 after many residents voiced their concerns about their parking difficulties to Wellingborough Council. Consultation was carried out and a proposed scheme was drawn up and costed. All affected properties then had further consultation documents hand delivered and consultation events were held at the Victoria Centre. The results showed that 87% of respondents were in favour of the scheme, with no road recording less than 77% in favour.
The scheme will be run and enforced by Northamptonshire County Council, and residents should receive a letter in the next couple of weeks explaining how they apply for their permits.
Councillor Graham Lawman, chairman of Wellingborough Council's development committee said: "It does take a long time to go through every step of the process - drawing up plans, consulting residents, applying for road traffic orders, securing funding, getting approval from the Department for Transport, organising signs - but we're at the end now and the residents will soon see the benefits. This is a great example of the council working with local people to resolve their concerns.
"The permit area will cover the streets where residents feel that the parking difficulties are most apparent, but we're aware that this may mean that some commuters will simply park on streets just outside of the zone. We hope this isn't the case, but the scheme will be reviewed after six months so we can see if there is any displacement. If that happens we may look at extending the permit area. If any residents outside of the zone think they are having more difficulty finding a parking space once the permits are introduced they should let the county council know."