THE ARTICLE BELOW WAS PUBLISHED IN MAY 2019 – THERE ARE FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS SO SEE THE LATER ARTICLE ABOVE. THIS ARTICLE IS KEPT ON THE SITE TO SHOW HOW THE PROPOSALS EVOLVED.

Sutton South Councillors have now seen the results of the second stage of
the consultation on parking. There was a strong response rate – about half of
residents responding in some roads, high for this type of study. The results
are clear enough for conclusions to be drawn, but raise some issues on which
some more detailed information would be helpful.

The results for Mayfield, The Ridgway and Chalgrove indicate that residents
are not happy with the proposals for yellow lines and bays, so might prefer a
residents’ permit parking area. Upland Road residents want to join in any scheme for this area, which makes it logical to also include Farm Road. There is concern about the form of the controls, the proposal being for yellow lines where parking is prohibited for a set period on weekdays, and bays where anyone can park. This could lead to competition between residents and commuters for the bays, the bays attracting “longstay” parkers and commuters touring the area looking for bays. The alternative is a Residents’ Parking Area with no yellow lines or bays, but only residents who have obtained a parking permit, or their visitors displaying a Visitors’ Permit, allowed to park in the street for this set period. This would remove commuters, increase the parking available to residents and eliminate the disadvantages described above, though there would be a charge for the permits to cover the administrative costs of the scheme. We
would like your views on these options.

There was a lower rate of response from Kayemoor Road, Prior Avenue, Willis Avenue, perhaps because the Stage1 proposals for parking controls in The Ridgway and Mayfield Road were thought to have limited implications. We think the displacement of parking, and the fact that numbers of vehicles parked is continuing to gradually increase, could have an impact in the medium to long term, particularly given current housing developments in central Sutton, So there is a case for further consulting residents of these roads, now that the parking control area will be extended to include Upland Road.

There will be further consultation.