Agenda item

Ward Parking Issues

Neil Ferris, CYC Acting Director for City and Environmental Services will talk about what can be done to address parking issues in the ward

Minutes:

Neil Ferris (NF), Acting Director of City and Environmental Services introduced himself.  He explained that he had been at CYC for fifteen months and welcomed the invitation to talk to the residents to get a first hand understanding into their concerns.    He said that there was no “magic wand” in respect of parking issues but was aware that the University was having an impact on parking and that it would be an ongoing problem in the area.    NF said that the University had obligations associated with their planning permission, one of which was to carry out an annual survey across the campus where the number of cars parking increases by more than 20% a year, this year it was carried out in May/June.   The survey showed that there had been more than a 20% increase and they are required to carry out a more details survey in the Broadway/Heslington Road areas in November.   This survey will be carried out by consultants on behalf of the University.    We will then be in a position to come back as a community to discuss options open to us.

 

The options currently available are double yellow lines, no parking notices, and time related restrictions.  There was also the option to move to a Resident’s Parking Scheme.  As part of the University planning requirement they are required to look at the number of people parking and mitigate the impact.  The University have contributed to the Residents Parking in areas associated with the University for a short period of time but this was dependent on the degree of parking problems as to how much they would contribute.   The cost to a resident of this scheme would be £100 per annum.    This did not give the resident a right to park outside his own home but it did give them the right to park with in a designated area.

 

Discussion

 

Q

Resident asked about the ongoing parking impact since the new parking restrictions on Heslington Lane had been put in place.

A

KA said that the yellow lines (paid for by the University) installed along Heslington Lane and Fulfordgate had improved parking issues considerably, but had generated new concerns from houses in Broadway, especially the first strip of MoD houses.   It was felt that the University of York needed to carry out some further work in this area to identify the cause of the problems. 

 

Q

The issue of the arrangements for contractors’ vehicles parking when the Germany Beck development got underway was raised. Concerns were expressed that unless arrangements were made they would be parking in Fordlands Road and other local roads.

 

A

KA said that CYC were aware that provision needed to be made for contractors parking and they were having discussions with Persimmon Homes.  He said that it was right that they should not park on local roads.

 

Q

A resident asked whether it was legal to park on  roundabouts and footpaths as that was what was happening at Westmoor Flats where four cars were regularly parked and also in Glenn Close.  Would it be possible to have a scheme to remove the roundabout and provide parking bays?

 

A

NF asked whether the Fulford Residents Association had reported this to the police.

KA said that these were long standing issues but that if a larger scheme could be brought forward it would be an improvement for Fordlands Crescent.   As residents in these areas were council tenants it could fall under the EIG. 

 

Q

Would it be possible for Glenn Close to have a parking bay if the flowerbeds where cut back?

 

A

NF said that moving paths, footpaths and verges could be costly.  KA said that they were good ideas but that finding the money from CYC budgets and the Improvement Grant could be difficult. It was suggested that this should be discussed by Fulford Residents’ Association.

 

Q

Concerns were raised about the parking arrangements at the doctor’s surgery as people were parking in Fulford Park on the junction with Main Street and there was a danger of accidents.   The doctor’s surgery car park was too small.  It was noted that there was an opening into Connaught Court from Fulford Park which people had started to use to park their cars.

 

A

KA said there was a proposal to paint yellow lines at the end of Fulford Park to deal with this issue but that there was the possibility that it would push the parking further down Fulford Park. This issue would be further discussed with local residents in Fulford Park.

 

Q

Concerns were raised about the parking bays on Main Street that were being used over long periods by cars with “for sale” in the window.   These bays were originally experimental; perhaps a time limit could be put on these bays.    This suggestion raised concerns that the cars would then park in the church car park.

 

A

KA said that this had been reported to Trading Standards last week.

 

Q

Resident raised concerns about the 7.5 tonne limit down Heslington Lane being regularly exceeded and why was this restriction not enforced.   Lorries were going down Heslington Lane to the Industrial Estate and thump over the speed bumps on the road.  Concern was expressed that this caused damage to the foundations of resident’s houses due to the vibration.

 

A

KA said that the rubberised style of bumps down Heslington Lane were no longer being used across the city following a review and that there was a rolling programme to replace these with different rubber bumps. The new style of bump was designed to have less impact on smaller cars while still slowing traffic.

NF said that if this was an ongoing problem (about HGVs) then the Parish Council and the Fulford Residents Association (FRA) should take the issue up with the police.

 

KA said that officers had been out to visit some of the houses on Heslington Lane in the past and agreed that we should be careful to use speed bumps that had a suitable level of impact on cars. 

 

Q

The University of York is constantly developing and was there not an understanding that construction workers at the University were not allowed to use Heslington Lane?

 

A

The meeting heard that the University of needed to make sure that their suppliers, staff, and students were aware of the on-campus sparking arrangements and local weight limits. KA said that often there was some capacity on Heslington East but it seemed that there needed to be more spaces on Heslington West.

 

Q

Could the signage be looked at as of the many HGV’s travelling along Main Street, very few of them service Fulford they are mostly going into the City Centre.   Could be directed off the A64 down the Hull Road. 

 

A

This issue has been raised a number of times, NF said that you could encourage people to take other routes but ultimately it is a public highway and people cannot be forced to do so.

 

 

KA thanked NF for attending the meeting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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