I am often asked for updates and information on the restrictive parking scheme for East Wichel. Please find a list of frequently asked questions on the subject. If you have any further questions on this or any other matter, please don't hesitate to contact me.
I am often asked for updates and information on the restrictive parking scheme for East Wichel. Please find a list of frequently asked questions on the subject. If you have any further questions on this or any other matter, please don't hesitate to contact me.
1. Are the mews areas subject to the same restrictions?
The restrictions will be confined to the areas that are to be adopted as public highway. The mews areas are not generally intended for adoption.
2. Have the locations of the signs be decided?
Yes, initial plans exist. An example is featured on the eastwichel.org website.
http://news.eastwichel.org.uk/tag/parking
3. What is the likely time-scales for implementation of the scheme?
The Council are awaiting a meeting with Taylor Wimpey – which will be crucial to a number of aspects of this scheme. However, it is anticipated that implementation of the scheme will be early autumn. It is certainly not in the next couple of months.
4. Confirmation that enforcement of restrictions will be carried out by traffic wardens/enforcement officers
Parking restrictions in Swindon are enforced by Civil Enforcement Officers employed by the Borough Council. The Police are only involved in cases where there is obstruction of the highway.
5. Bays will have to be marked up, how will this work if the final layer of tarmac isn't on the road? Does the Council have a time-scale for all the roads to be finished?
The Council can request that the Developers install bay marking on whatever surface is there and get them re-done on the surface course once laid or the Council could do it as part of the TRO and recharge. Unfortunately the Developers have not given the Council a timescale for this yet, the Council continue to chase. The main hold up now appears to be getting the sewers adopted by Thames Water. Until this is completed the Council cannot adopt the roads and as such the Developers are hesitant to finish the roads.
6. Who painted the double yellow lines (DTL) off East Wichel Way?
Council officers understand that the DYL were painted by Taylor Wimpey in direct response to concerns by residents that parking cars were preventing people crossing safely.
7. "Can you offer any assurances that some sensibility will prevail in ensuring that the retail car park is available, currently occupied by Taylor Wimpy site office, before parking restrictions come in”
This area is currently private land so the Council cannot offer the assurances desired.
8. Will a review take place once the restricted parking scheme has been implemented after a period of time?
This would be normal practice.
9. Please could you confirm the situation with blue badge holders?
The regulation imposed by a Restricted Parking Zone to “park only in marked bays” applies to all vehicles including any displaying blue badge.
Blue badge holders may park in any of the ordinary marked bays but should there be any special need to do so then there may be the possibility of signing bays on the highway for general use by disabled badge holders only e.g. near local shop, as we have done at other locations in Swindon.
10. “I would like to know what the plans are for ensuring residents who have enough parking for their cars do not miss out on visitors because residents are filling them with their extra cars? It's possibly something that will need to be monitored in the future and we may need visitor parking permits perhaps, but it is a concern especially as currently the visitor bay across from us is full with two transit vans and every other car belonging to a resident living in the area. Not one of the cars is a visitor.”
The parking bays are not restricted to only visitors at present.
11. What is someone parks in a residents' own parking space who shouldn't – how is this monitored and enforced?
Residents own parking spaces do not form part of the highway therefore the resident will need to seek legal advice as the Council have no powers to enforce parking on private land.
12. “If we have tradesmen in to do work for example servicing a boiler or to do some painting and the visitor bays are full. Where do we stand as nobody will take the risk of a fine."
Tradesmen and Builder Permits are available from Parking Services to park on waiting restrictions. (The telephone number is: 01793 463772)
13. "Can we have a scratch card system as in use within Swindon now, where we could have 4hr or 24hr parking on the streets for visiting families."
As part of the restricted parking zone restrictions no exemptions have been made to allow visitor parking and also we have not introduced a visitor parking permit scheme.
14. What if someone parks in a residents' own parking space who shouldn't – how is this monitored and enforced? Please could you confirm the total number of on-road parking spaces? What was the number of extra spaces found following the consultation?
Please see question 11 for the answer to the first part. There were 119 original spaces, we have found 15 extra, giving a total of 134, all of these figures are approximate.
15. "Will the Council be writing to every individual house within the estate to advise them, as I am sure there are many unaware that this is happening."
There are no proposals to do this at present but will be considered depending on feedback from Ward Councillors.
16. If people wanted to lease their driveways or garages is this something that they could look into?
It is up to residents on how they use their driveway but it may be worth getting their own legal advice to check whether there is not a clause in their deeds.