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Nottinghamshire County Council will formally consult on parking proposals, including the possible introduction of a small charge for parking on selected streets around West Bridgford town centre after a free parking period of 30 minutes.

The proposals seek to address concerns raised previously by West Bridgford residents and visitors about the lack of parking space near the town centre, and the traffic congestion that occurs as a result.

The decision to consult follows an initial public engagement exercise completed in January which gathered the views of residents and visitors about their experiences of using on-street parking close to West Bridgford town centre.

The engagement exercise showed that most respondents had experienced issues when looking for on-street parking close to the town centre. Many people parked for less than two hours when visiting, but some wanted to stay longer, and most agreed that if additional availability could be created it would reduce congestion caused by vehicles circling and looking for spaces.

In August, householders and businesses on the streets included in the proposals below will be contacted by letter and given the opportunity to comment. This will enable those directly affected to discuss any issues or concerns and to work with councillors and the council on potential solutions.

This will be followed by an open public consultation on the proposals, to commence one month after, in September. This consultation will be publicised through the county council’s channels.

The introduction of a charge would encourage drivers to plan the time they require to park and therefore should significantly improve the turnover of spaces. This replicates what already happens in the car parks in the town. By co-ordinating off-street and on-street charges, a consistent approach to the provision of parking around the centre could be achieved.

The proposed charges are designed to meet the costs of enforcement and the maintenance of the signs and lines as well as the costs of any new restrictions required. If there is a surplus of income, this could be allocated to local highway and transport improvement schemes.

The changes to be proposed in the first stage of consultation are detailed below.

In all the identified locations they allow for a 30-minute period of free parking, beyond which a small charge would be made, gradually increasing in accordance with the length of stay requested.

In designing these proposals, very careful consideration has been given to the needs of retailers, allowing for short stops and longer ‘dwell time’ to visit restaurants and cafes. The proposed changes would simplify existing restrictions, providing a more consistent and clear parking management policy for all these locations.

For roads such as Gordon Road, this effectively means no change to the free period currently available, but it introduces the option to pay for longer if it is required.

In areas such as Bridgford Road where we recognise that there is some longer stay parking, we have removed the upper limit on how long a vehicle can stay.

All existing short stay parking of up to two hours would be increased to a three-hour maximum.

For Fox and Hound Road adjacent to the cricket ground, we would offer residents the option to purchase resident permits for the year.

The detailed proposals are as follows:

Streets included

Albert Road, Florence Road, Gordon Road, Gordon Square, Rectory Road (south), and Priory Road

Conversion of all existing limited waiting parking areas into short-stay 3 hours pay and display with 30 minutes free parking

Bridgford Road

Conversion of existing parking bays into long-stay pay and display bays (no upper daily limit) with 30 minutes free parking

Church Drive, Davies Road, Rectory Road (north), and Priory Road

Introduce new short-stay 3 hours pay and display parking provision with 30 minutes free parking

Fox Road, and Hound Road

Proposed new long stay pay and display (no upper daily limit) / residents parking.

Proposed charges

Short stay parking charges, 8am – 8pm (All days) Max stay 3 hours

Long stay parking charges, 8am – 8pm, (All days)

Councillor Neil Clarke MBE – Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment said: “We have listened very carefully to the feedback we received from the public engagement exercise completed at the beginning of this year. This revealed that people are frustrated about the lack of parking opportunities close to West Bridgford town centre.”

“West Bridgford is a thriving town loved by its residents and visitors from further afield, but to maintain its popularity and economic viability we need to address these concerns. We’re seeking a consistent approach that will ensure sufficient parking space is available, and in turn reduce the congestion currently caused by cars circling the area searching for places to park.

“We know how important it is to local retailers that there are sufficient parking opportunities close to the town centre. These proposals would provide 30 minutes free parking at the locations identified, while introducing a small charge for an hour-long stay which would then gradually increase for longer stays. We believe this can meet the needs of residents popping briefly to the shops, whilst also supporting visitors who travel to the town centre by car and sometimes wish to stay longer.

“We realise that provision for cars is not the only consideration for visitors and residents. There was considerable feedback from those preferring to use buses, walk, or cycle to the town centre. That’s good to know, because we have already invested a considerable amount of money to support all modes of transport, for example in footpaths, cycle lanes and protecting bus services.

“We look forward to hearing people’s views on the parking suggestions proposed. I must stress that there is still an opportunity to make changes based on the feedback we receive from the public consultation in September.”

The above decision has been published on the Council’s democratic services website