Agenda item

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place)

To consider the above petition, bearing 8 signatures, which has been submitted by Councillor McNicholas, a Lower Stoke Ward Councillor, who has been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item along with the petition organiser.

The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) concerning a petition, bearing 8 signatures, which had been submitted by Councillor McNicholas, a Lower Stoke Ward Councillor, who attended the meeting along with the petition organiser and they spoke on behalf of the petitioners. The report had been requested by the petition organiser following the receipt of the determination letter. The petitioners were requesting a residents’ parking scheme on the Walsgrave Road end of Church Lane.

The report indicated that Church Lane was a residential road and Walsgrave Road (A4600) was part of a main arterial route into Coventry. At the top of Church Lane, there was a parade of shops on the eastern side of the road that continued onto Walsgrave Road. Outside the shops, there were five parking bays where waiting was limited to one hour Monday to Saturday between 7am and 7pm, with no return permitted within 2 hours. There were additional parking bays subject to the same waiting restriction on Walsgrave Road. Walsgrave Road was part of a Red Route, which meant that stopping was not permitted outside the marked parking bays. A location plan detailing the parking restrictions was attached at an appendix to the report.

A review of the personal recorded injury collision history for the last 3 years on the northern section of Church Lane shows that there were 3 personal injury collisions involving vehicles turning into or out of Church Lane from Walsgrave Road.

The Cabinet Member was informed that Residents’ parking schemes were usually only considered for a whole street or an area where most residents did not have access to off-street parking. Most of the properties at the northern end of Church Lane had driveways. If a vehicle was obstructing a vehicular dropped kerb, the Council’s Parking Enforcement Team could take action. However, a vehicle could be parked across a vehicular dropped kerb with the permission of the resident. Due to the number of properties with driveways, there was limited space available for on-street parking on the section of Church Lane in question and surveys had shown that this was fully utilised.

The determination letter had advised of the situation relating to residents’ parking schemes and that the section of Church Lane referred to did not qualify for consideration as a residents’ parking scheme. A copy of the determination letter was set out at a further appendix.

Councillor McNicholas and the petition organiser drew attention to the parking issues being experienced by local residents on a daily basis which included inconsiderate parking by employees and customers of local businesses. It was suggested that local businesses be contacted to encourage parking at the rear of their premises and that regular enforcement of the vicinity could be undertaken. The option of a residents parking scheme for the wider area was discussed.   

RESOLVED that:

(1) The petitioners’ concerns be noted.

(2) Arrangements be put in place for a meeting with the petition spokesperson, Ward Councillors and officers to discuss options to help alleviate the parking problems being experienced by residents, with Ward Councillors and officers contacting local businesses asking them to park at the rear of their premises rather than in Church Lane.

(3) Approval be given for regular enforcement being carried out at the Walsgrave Road end of Church Lane.