A controlled parking zone (CPZ) is proposed in Wey Road and Round Oak Road, “to increase space for short stay visitors to Weybridge by discouraging all day parking by non-residents in these roads”. Surrey is inviting comments on the proposals by 2 October 2020.
Surrey County Council has put forward these proposals as a late addition to the previously drafted Weybridge parking review, in what we understand is an exceptional move in response to a request from residents in these roads.
We have heard very diverging comments on the proposals from local residents, and will make a summary of these available online.
Details of the Wey Road and Round Oak Road CPZ proposals are available on the Surrey County Council website, with the statement of reasons being the primary document, and the weybridge parking review drawings showing what is described in the statement of reasons.
If you would like to object, support, or comment on the proposals, you must do so by 2 October 2020, by either:
- filling in Surrey’s online survey, or
- writing, quoting ‘Elmbridge parking review’ to: Parking Team, Hazel House, Merrow Depot, Merrow Lane, Guildford, GU4 7BQ.
The Surrey C C proposals for Wey Road and Round Oak Road came about as a result of a petition championed by the resident assoc chair. It was suggested in communication to residents that controlled parking was needed as an “interim measure” before privatisation. A large group of residents are opposed to the CPZ plan as it in no way can it be justified on road safety, congestion or accessibility grounds and anyone visiting these roads would never suggest there are parking problems. The vast majority of houses have drives and do not require on-street parking. The restrictions will inevitably displace existing parked cars on to Portmore Park and other roads.
A CPZ in these roads once implemented will inevitably lead to other CPZs in the next parking review.
The plan sponsor councillor Tim Oliver and the Chair of the residents association will push this plan through unless all residents make their opposition known. At this time the opponents have the support of all the local Ward Councillors who see this as a “ solution looking for a problem” . If you would like to join the now majority of residents in these roads who want throw out this plan then make your opposition known. Remember the deadline is 2nd October. For help in opposing contact the residents action group at saynotocontrols@gmail.com .
The above email has only tonight been brought to my attention, and it falls upon me yet again, as it did when illegal and unsightly fly-posters started to appear, to point out the inaccuracies in several statements made.
Far from being an interim measure towards privatisation (though most residents would still prefer that) these proposals are the result of Surrey’s compromise agreement to come up with a plan on which the residents could decide for themselves.
With only 5 households preferring not to sign an e-Petition calling for some form of parking restrictions for residents to consider, Mr. O’Kane led a secretive and personal crusade in an attempt to deny 91.2% of residents their right of proper choice from the outset, by trying to persuade the Local Committee to refuse them their democratic right. To its credit, the Committee saw through that charade, and agreed it was right for those most affected by whatever Scheme was produced to decide the outcome; hence the consultation ending tomorrow.
It is totally untrue to say that there are no parking problems in these roads; just ask those who are already experiencing them. This can only get worse for them and others when the full effect of recent resident-only restrictions in Dorchester and Gascoigne roads displace more vehicles on to other nearby residential roads post-COVID.
Nowhere does the above post mention that these proposals simply replace all-day congestion with the provision of short-term, free, parking for use by visitors to the Town, churchgoers and school parents, who are more likely to have nowhere to park for a short while once the 70+ cars from the aforementioned resident-only zone start looking for another “free” space.
The term “a large group of residents” is relative, and to say that: “the now majority of residents in these roads [who] want [sic] throw out this plan” is laughable, as all responses to County are anonymous and the “saynotocontrols” crusade has certainly not canvassed everyone’s opinion around here. It simply continues to spout conjecture over fact in the hope that others will be sufficiently gullible to believe all they read on the basis that they cannot be expected to know anything else.
Cllr. Oliver and I will NOT be pushing this Scheme anywhere. Mr. O’Kane tried and failed to silence us residents, but it is us residents who will have the final say in determining our immediate environment. If restrictions are not wanted, then fine – we will have made the decision; if they are, well, then exactly the same principle applies. Either way, residents will have made the decision.
In truth, the other real villain in the Weybridge parking chaos is Elmbridge Council itself. Despite it being a cash cow, it has sat on its hands for decades refusing to acknowledge the need for more off-street car parks. In conjunction with a wider CPZ around the Town’s retail areas, more car park spaces = more revenue, which additional funds could be used to subside the cost of local businesses in the provision of season tickets for their staff. In that way, residential roads won;t need to be clogged all day, and the Town could revert to a past normal.