Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) – Next steps
June 11, 2008
Introduction of a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) in Divinity Road Area – Consultation Process
Around 13 June 2008 you will be receiving a letter from Oxfordshire County Council as part of the consultation process for its planned introduction of a CPZ in the area. You will be asked to respond with your views.
DRARA has been in discussions with Oxfordshire County Council on behalf of residents to gather as much information as possible so residents can assess the key issues ahead of a decision which will have a major impact on our area and lifestyles.
Before you respond to Oxfordshire County Council we would ask you to consider the following points:
Parking Restrictions
- Whatever scheme is introduced, there will need to be some form of permit restriction. What is the fairest way of doing this? (e.g. number of permits per household – for who?) We do not want to be in the same position as nearby CPZs (e.g., Rectory Rd) where the number of permits issued far exceeds spaces, making parking impossible.
- DRARA’s parking survey in 2006 showed there were roughly double the number of cars parked during the student term (551 in October compared to 228 in mid July).
- DRARA has been campaigning hard for the introduction of a 20 mph zone and we believe there may be some encouraging news from the County Council’s Transport Decisions Committee on 17 July. Any CPZ has to be designed to ensure drivers are encouraged to respect the speed limit and make it more difficult for rat run and speeding traffic
- Many residents have been subjected to ‘road rage’ incidents outside their homes. Again any design should aim to minimise these and make it easier for drivers to reverse or pull over.
- Oxfordshire County Council wants to create the maximum number of parking spaces in the DRARA area and sees pavement parking as the easiest way to do this. Our pavements are narrow enough as it is and to make them even narrower endangers the safety of school-children, wheelchair users and pedestrians in general.
- The DRARA committee is opposed to pavement parking
