Portmore Park & District Residents Association
Supporting local heritage, quality of life and community
St George’s Junior School is extending an invitation to neighbouring residents to join an ‘Open House’ drop-in event between 6pm and 8pm on Thursday 28 September.
This will be a social and informational evening for our local community, open to all neighbours of the school. It will include an opportunity to learn more about the school’s parking plans, plus optional tours of the school site.
See the invitation above for more details.
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:
Given that the analysis shows residents to be against the scheme and would be even if considerable amendments were made to it, and that non-residents were vehemently against the proposals, we have decided not to proceed with any changes to parking in Wey Road and Round Oak Road at the current time.
What can residents do to influence development of our part of Weybridge, in the face of pressure for much higher housing density? That was the primary focus of the Portmore Park & District community meeting on 26 June. Other topics included green spaces and paths, flooding, and the parking review. Wall displays covered overviews of local issues, topics and developments, to inform and stimulate thinking. Forty four local residents participated, including three Weybridge Riverside Elmbridge councillors. County cllr Tim Oliver was unable to attend but sent a written update. There was some lively, constructive and positive discussion throughout the event.
The meeting drew lessons from the high-density development proposals for Beales Lane (141 local objections, refused) and Bridge House in the High Street (19 objections, consent imminent). Residents at our meeting hope for a less massive, less dominant development in Beales Lane, preferably of houses, certainly something more in keeping with the surroundings.
Government demands mean the planning authority is under pressure to squeeze in higher density developments: the forthcoming Elmbridge Local Plan must find space for 9,480 new homes in the next fifteen years. There will be difficult choices: either much higher density in towns or allowing development on some Green Belt land, or both. The question is where non-damaging high density might be achieved, with adequate infrastructure.
This is already a live issue in other parts of Elmbridge, where residents have become highly mobilised following the 2017 Elmbridge Green Belt review consultations – they want increased density to be elsewhere, and their target towns seem to be Walton and Weybridge.
What can people do locally? Actions discussed were: Take part in the public consultation on Elmbridge Local Plan options, which will run for six weeks from August. Get involved, raise awareness. Work towards constructive answers. Form a neighbourhood forum. Consider a neighbourhood plan.
Other topics at the PPDRA meeting included positive news on local green spaces and paths.
There was strong appreciation of Broadwater Path – used by most participants since being made an accessible public footpath with a two metre wide crushed stone surface – and its role in enabling an application (with Elmbridge support) for national funding to conserve Broadwater lake. Making Footpath 36 (Grenside Road to the Thames) more accessible would also be welcome.
The meeting welcomed the retention of the whole of Churchfields Allotments, and heard about community efforts to enhance the maintenance of the allotment site. There was no support for building a car park on the Churchfields Recreation Ground bowling green.
A resident raised the very poor state of the roundabout by Morrisons. Participants compared this with the excellent condition of some roundabouts in adjacent boroughs, where garden centres sponsor roundabout landscape maintenance in exchange for discreet advertising signs. There was strong support for Elmbridge to adopt this.
There has been little news on further progress with the £700,000,000 River Thames Scheme for flood diversion measures between Datchet and Teddington, which is still seeking to fill a £350,000,000 funding shortfall. But there has been a rehearsal of temporary flood barrier use to protect Walton Lane and Dorney Grove.
The meeting heard of years of active local resident liaison with the Environment Agency, over River Thames Scheme proposals — a major flood diversion channel would discharge opposite the canoe club — and flood modelling. This included PPDRA lobbying to reverse plans (happily subsequently changed) to cut into the south bank on the Desborough Channel, which would have meant relocating the Thames Path closer to the Walton Lane road. Work on the River Thames Scheme recently seems to have gone rather quiet, with some EA personnel moved to other work.
Walton Lane residents have been in continuing contact over local temporary flood response measures. In October 2018 there was a successful Environment Agency rehearsal of putting up a temporary flood barrier from Weybridge Point to the first Desborough Bridge.
The meeting included a discussion on parking, and contrasted the 2009 and 2019 Elmbridge Parking reviews.
A decade ago, in 2009, Surrey County Council proposed a large Controlled Parking Zone west of Thames Street, a north Weybridge CPZ. The proposals proved very unpopular. They were rejected by local residents for multiple reasons, including loss of capacity leaving some residents unable to park near their homes, a parking ban along Portmore Park Road opening the way to more and faster rat run traffic, and serious displacement issues along the CPZ’s eastern boundaries.
The 2019 review in contrast sets out more localised changes. The proposals aim to: increase safety; make it easier for residents to park close to their homes in Dorchester & Gascoigne Roads; maintain on-street parking capacity; avoid displacement; and create space for daytime two hour waiting by shoppers. These are all aims which are in line with principles long supported by PPDRA and by many residents.
Several participants felt more CPZ space should be allocated for joint use, to permit shopper/visitor two hour waiting as well as long stay residents’ parking.
Parking problems persist in Grenside Road, and there was disappointment that nothing has been done in the parking review to improve this, beyond the useful addition of double yellows lines on the Grenside Road junction with Grotto Road to help improve safety.
It was noted that St George’s Junior School on-site staff parking is limited, resulting in many staff vehicles having to park on-street. PPDRA understands that the school was advised by an Elmbridge planning officer that a potential application for car parking space on their newly acquired land at the end of Grenside Road would be unlikely to succeed. PPDRA has suggested that the school might consider seeking consent to put a staff car park on their new land immediately next to the Bannatyne Health Club car park, as the least damaging location.
A resident raised the continuing issue of concern around inadequate asbestos management on the Thames Street warehouse site. It was agreed that the issue might usefully be given additional publicity in the Weybridge Society newsletter, and PPDRA will follow that up.
It was suggested that closer collaboration with the Weybridge Society would be sensible on major issues affecting our town. It was agreed that collaboration is a good thing, and the committee would again follow this up.
The meeting thanked members of the committee for their contribution over the past year, with particular thanks to two committee members who were standing down: Doug Myers of Walton Lane, and Ian Bonnett of The Willows, who has served as Treasurer for many years.
Members of the Association were delighted to welcome Michael Freeman back onto the committee (in the role of Treasurer), following his term as Elmbridge Borough Councillor, and to welcome onto the committee Lester Gange of Walton Lane. We are still seeking a new committee member from the Dorchester Road/Thames Street area.
The committee elected for 2019-20 comprises:
– Miles Macleod (Chair), Clinton Close
– Michael Freeman (Treasurer), The Swansway, PPR
– Jane Heard (Secretary), Portmore Park Road
– Eleanor Butler, Church Walk
– Lester Gange, Walton Lane
– Pippa Graeme, Elmgrove Road
– Sarah Jane Groves, Grenside Road
– Barbara Molony-Oates, Greenlands Road
– Pauline O’Sullivan, Wey Road
– Diane Phillips, Portmore Park Road
– William Rutherford, Mount Pleasant
Plans for a three storey block of 17 flats and 11 houses in Beales Lane, with 53 bedrooms, are being considered by Elmbridge Borough Council (application 2019/0386). Over 100 objections have been registered with Elmbridge. Read our PPDRA letter here.
The new block would replace the existing St Catherine’s buildings (lacking merit but inconspicuous, total 27 bedrooms) with a significantly taller block, of more than twice the mass, with its bulk much closer to the road.
See the photo and plans above to get a feel for the proposed scale. It is 55% higher from ground to rooftop compared with present, towards the Thames St end.
The plans propose parking spaces for 28 cars behind the block, accessed via a height-limited entrance mid-building.
The style of the proposed building is quite unlike other properties in north Weybridge. Some residents feel strongly that it is wrong for the location.
Many are concerned about the excessive bulk, and negative impact of the proposed development on the streetscene, traffic and parking – that it would transform the character of Beales Lane, and not in a good way.
Residents are worried that the character of Beales Lane will be lost. Beales Lane is green and open towards its Thames Street end. The St Catherine’s buildings are low and mostly set well back. Their layout is staggered so it doesn’t impose.
The houses opposite are a traditionally styled 1998 development, in keeping with the character of Weybridge.
It is currently a pleasant suburban lane, leading to the historic small cottages of Church Walk.
The new building would present a much larger and more dominating profile along its length, and project closer to Thames Street. It would be a massive difference.
The current St Catherine’s building as seen from Thames Street
The proposed building would be 55% higher, far wider and project much closer to Thames Street
Below we list some objections to the development plans, raised by local residents.
Comments to Elmbridge Borough Council are invited by 29 March, but will be accepted after that. The application will be decided by the South Area Planning Sub-committee. To register your comments, search for 2019/0386 at www.elmbridge.gov.uk/planning
It is helpful if objections are on grounds that relate to relevant planning legislation / relevant sections of EBC Local Plan. Below are relevant issues of worry to local residents. We list things that Elmbridge Borough Council must consider in deciding planning application 2019/0386:
Visitor parking being used by school parents for child collection; note narrow roadway
The number of people who comment is crucial to the future of Beales Lane and Church Walk.
Search for 2019/0386 at www.elmbridge.gov.uk/planning.
Comments to Elmbridge BC are invited by 29 March, but will be accepted after that. Use the comment form on the EBC website or email tplan@elmbridge.gov.uk.
The application will be considered by councillors on Elmbridge Borough Council South Area Planning Sub-committee.
If you feel it is important that they are all aware of your comments, you can email them directly:
Cllr Barry Cheyne (Chair) Oatlands and Burwood Park
Cllr Mrs Dorothy Mitchell (Vice Chair) Cobham and Downside
Cllr James Browne Cobham and Downside
Cllr Andrew Burley Oxshott and Stoke D’Abernon
Cllr Oliver Chappell Oxshott and Stoke D’Abernon
Cllr Andrew Davis Weybridge Riverside
Cllr Michael Freeman Weybridge Riverside
Cllr Peter Harman Weybridge St George’s Hill
Cllr David Lewis Oxshott and Stoke D’Abernon
Cllr Mrs Charu Sood Weybridge St George’s Hill
bcheyne@elmbridge.gov.uk; dmitchell@elmbridge.gov.uk; jbrowne@elmbridge.gov.uk; aburley@elmbridge.gov.uk; ochappell@elmbridge.gov.uk; adavis@elmbridge.gov.uk; mfreeman@elmbridge.gov.uk; pharman@elmbridge.gov.uk; dlewis@elmbridge.gov.uk; csood@elmbridge.gov.uk;
Traffic and parking issues are the responsibility of Surrey County Council, who will prepare a consultation report in relation to planning application EBC 2019/0386.
The Surrey County Councillor for Weybridge is Tim Oliver
tim.oliver@surreycc.gov.uk
You can download a pdf copy of our March 2019 newsletter about application 2019/0386 here
Some residents are puzzled by the reference to 17 flats and 11 houses in the planning application, when the drawings appear to show a single large block of flats, arranged over three floors.
Below is an extract from the 2019/0386 Application Form
Parking and turning on private land, obstructing residents
Residents of Grenside Road face school traffic and parking issues which need help from Surrey Highways.
Grenside Road is a cul de sac with no turning space, so things can get fraught when large numbers of parents park up on the pavement and neighbouring land, wait with engines running, then try to turn around and drive out.
The private access to residents’ parking spaces and lock up garages is often obstructed by parents parking and manoeuvring and trying to turn around to depart from Grenside Road.
The school’s use of the Grenside Road gates as a secondary entrance is in line with Surrey’s policy of multiple access points. But the road lacks the parking controls expected around a school entrance. There are still no zigzags or special parking restrictions around this entrance, despite the optimistic comments made by an outgoing councillor, before last year’s Surrey County County local elections, about Surrey making safety improvements in Grenside Road.
St George’s Junior School is trying to make sure parents are considerate, but official parking restrictions from Surrey would allow traffic wardens to enforce better behaviour. PPDRA will continue to draw this to the attention of the new County Councillor, Tim Oliver. Action is needed to improve a situation residents find unacceptable.
INTRODUCTION: We are grateful to PPDRA committee member Pauline O’Sullivan for this informative overview of the Weybridge Parking Project — work in progress by the Weybridge Society and Weybridge Town Business Group, a major undertaking on a significant topic.
It is excellent to see mention that:
These are two concerns which local residents frequently express to PPDRA, which were included in our evidence to the project, not apparent in the original Parking Project report.
We welcome the prospect of the Parking Project accommodating these and other wider concerns. PPDRA strongly supports the principle of a strategic plan recognising the diverse parking needs across our local community. We also feel it is important that it covers traffic as well as parking, as the two are so interrelated.
Comments welcome!
…………………………….
Creative thinking is at last taking place to sort out parking and improve our Town. There are many factors involved and your input and ideas are important.
SCC and EBC have failed for years to implement an effective and cohesive parking plan for Weybridge that addresses increasing problems for business, shoppers, residents, schools and visitors. Getting this right is fundamental to the prosperity, look and feel of our Town.
As a result, The Weybridge Society (WS), in conjunction with the Weybridge Town Business Group (WTBG), undertook a voluntary initiative to produce an advisory document to start the necessary detailed quantification of the problem and an outline of the considerations for a potential solution. To view the Weybridge Parking Project Review & Proposal, plus a clarification and update, go to: https://www.weybridgesociety.org.uk/current-activities/weybridge-parking-review-2017-18/
The project involved only: the collection of hard data on the extra commuter parking space needed, the assessment of space available in existing car parks and their potential for expansion, and current charges/revenues. It also looked at current problems and considerations relating to the parking needs of all users and identified further work necessary to assess the wider impacts to be considered before any final solution can be proposed and implemented.
A comprehensive survey of local businesses revealed that a minimum of 725 commuter cars currently park each weekday on the streets around Weybridge High Street and the Queens Road Village. They make parking difficult for shoppers, visitors and residents, especially for those with no off-street parking. The solution being suggested is to provide more off-street parking for use by commuters and the creation of at least two Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs) for residents that can be shared with short and medium-term shoppers and other visitors. The precise details of these CPZs are still to be decided and are likely to be shaped more in line with the official town boundary to take better account of the inconvenience suffered by residents in roads close to retail areas. Note these will not be concentric circles as used in the Proposal as indicative of distances from a central point.
In February, the WS and WTBG met with Weybridge and Surrey councillors to launch the Review and Proposal. Agreement was gained for it to be presented for adoption at the next Joint Executive Group of SCC and EBC. Cllr. Andrew Davis agreed to undertake the Feasibility Study into the potential expansion of existing car parks, acknowledging the need for creative ideas and no multi-storey eyesores. This was due to be delivered at end of June, but a lack of progress has meant that it is having to be recommissioned.
The PPDRA committee has discussed the findings, the outline of a potential solution, and the further work required as input to a cohesive Plan. The extra work is primarily the responsibility of EBC and SCC, but progress will need close monitoring and consultation with residents:
Key considerations in creating the new Parking Plan
WHAT DO YOU THINK? HAS SOMETHING BEEN MISSED? Contribute your thoughts below, and come to the PPDRA AGM on 13 September to share views and hear from councillors. THIS IS IMPORTANT.
P O’S July 2018
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Here is some further helpful clarification from Pauline O’Sullivan on CPZ proposals from the Weybridge Parking Project, which illustrates how the Project is responding to local concerns. Comments invited.
It is generally accepted that Weybridge needs more off-street space for long-term parking so that all residents can park close to their own homes. However, there is also a need to provide an element of short-term parking for shoppers and visitors within walking distance of the High Street and Queens Road trading areas.
Getting this balance right is not going to be easy, with many factors to be considered. The enlargement and changes of restrictions to the existing CPZ in 2015 resulted in more stress in adjoining roads, a reduction in parking for shoppers, and roads in the CPZ being left with lots of space for much of the day. A revised approach is therefore essential.
The Weybridge Society website (weybridgesociety.org.uk) gives full details of its recent Parking Project that quantified both the cause of the congestion (long-term commuter parking) and the needs of residents, shoppers and businesses. The Project concluded that there will have to be more controlled parking on our roads for off-street parking to work.
The current thinking of the Project is to have 2 CPZs, one broadly following the irregular shape of the official Town centre boundary and a similar one for Queens Road, both based on the acceptable average walking distances for commuters as determined by the Weybridge Society’s survey. Differing parking restrictions would need to apply within these CPZs to reflect the proximity to the High Street and Queens Road, and the needs of individual roads and locations, e.g. around schools. It is already recognised that a few roads may opt to be excluded from any restriction for practical and/or safety reasons, so getting the best result for all will be a complex process. Understanding the views of residents is therefore very important.
Make sure you have your say by providing feedback direct to the Weybridge Society as leaders of the initiative at: weysoc@mickey.me.uk and/or to this Association at contactus @ portmore.org.uk
Residents who signed up to participate in consultation about future health services for Weybridge following the Community Hospital fire have received the update below.
Note that the NW Surrey Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) website has been updated with NW Surrey CCG’s informative reports of the two community meetings held on 17 October in St James’ Church, Weybridge.
PPDRA aims to contribute to the consultation in liaison with members who wish to particpate in the engagement process. If you are strongly interested in the shape of our future health services in Weybridge, please let us know.
(See also our PPDRA report of the October meetings and concerns expressed )
FROM: Comms (NHS NORTH WEST SURREY CCG)
DATE: Wed 15/11/2017 13:30
SUBJECT: Engaging the local community in planning future health services for Weybridge
Thank you very much for expressing an interest in joining a smaller working group/s to consider future health services for Weybridge.
We have set out our draft engagement plans below, and it would be really helpful if you could let us know which group/s you might be interested in participating in:
As we indicated at the meetings in Weybridge, engaging the local community is a key part of our planning; we will continue to keep people updated via our website, the local press and other methods as appropriate and there will also be opportunities for more people to get involved during public consultation where we will also have further public meetings. During that wider consultation period we would also be very happy to come out and talk to local groups as much as possible.
In the meantime, we would be very grateful if you could indicate which of the above you would be interested in participating in; these are not mutually exclusive so you could opt for more than one if you wish.
All up to date information on Weybridge Community Hospital is now on our website and can be found here.
Communications and Engagement Team
NHS North West Surrey Clinical Commissioning Group
58 Church Street, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 8DP
Web: www.nwsurreyccg.nhs.uk
Follow us on Twitter @NWSurreyCCG
St James’ church was packed to capacity for two meetings on Tuesday 17 October. Around 800 local residents attended, hoping to hear positive news about health services returning to our town, after the destruction of Weybridge Community Hospital in the disastrous fire back in July.
The news was mixed. Good news is that the hospital site will be retained, interim accommodation for the two GP practices is being constructed as rapidly as possible, and should be up and running in December, and a new permanent building will be constructed on the site over the next three years or so.
The bad news is that Weybridge is unlikely to get back the Community Hospital as it was, with its Walk In Centre, X-Rays and extensive outpatient services.
So what will we get? North West Surrey Clinical Commissioning Group (NWS CCG) is responsible for deciding. The meetings were led by Matthew Tait, of NWS CCG, along with representatives of NHS Property Services and local GP practices.
The publicity handout headed ‘services returning to the former Weybridge Community Hospital Site’ (see below) made it clear that GP practices, a range of treatment room services, and Lloyds Pharmacy will return. Beyond that, all is up for discussion.
The great area of concern for residents at both meetings was the future of the Walk In Centre and X-rays etc. Will the Walk In Centre be returning?
We were told that Walk In Centres are now an outdated concept, that CCG thinking has moved on. But there will be treatment services. There is no short-term replacement for the Walk In Centre, as there is no space on the site and no other suitable site has been found. [Surrey County Councillor Tim Oliver on 20 Sept told local residents that part of the library building had been considered for a replacement Walk In Centre, but proved not to be feasible.]
About NW Surrey CCG
Residents were told repeatedly by Matthew Tait of the NW Surrey CCG, and his colleagues, that they would be engaging with the community of North West Surrey to understand local needs, and that future services would be shaped to meet those needs.
It appears that NWS CCG are starting with a clean sheet of paper, and looking at the needs of local towns from Ashford to Woking and beyond, in deciding what future facilities we will have in Weybridge.
Before the fire at Weybridge Community Hospital, Weybridge was a hub for local community health services. The loss of the Community Hospital means that we are no longer a working hub.
The services delivered in Weybridge in future may be better or worse than before the fire, NWS CCG cannot say at present, but CCG have a duty to look at the overall clinical needs of North West Surrey.
For many Weybridge residents, the important question has a different emphasis: ‘will we get back the LOCAL provision of health services that we lost in the fire?’
NW Surrey CCG cannot promise that we will get them back. But CCG want to engage with the community, and the massive turnout at the two meetings — CCG had originally planned to hold them in a room with a capacity of 100 people! — is a sure sign that Weybridge residents care deeply about local provision of those services.
There are natural concerns that our town may be diminished by a long-term loss of local provision of services which we value highly and rely on.
But as Matthew Tait has said, we may get something better and more future-proof. Perhaps the voice of local residents will be heard.
20 ‘pods’ (portakabins) have already been sited on part of the Weybridge Community Hospital site previously used for staff car parking, and these are being fitted out as GP Surgery facilities, plus treatment rooms.
The interim facilities on the former hospital site should be up and running by December 2017, at which point the Church Street Practice and Rowan Tree Practice will return to Weybridge. Another pod will house Lloyds Pharmacy.
There will be parking on the interim site for about 30 cars (presumably this will mainly be for staff parking?), including disabled spaces. The impact of this reduction in parking over the next three years is likely to be significant.
[If the remainder of the site will not actually be built on until two years time, would it not be possible to level most of it, and use it for temporary parking until building actually starts?]
There were questions about the possibility of increasing parking space longer term via underground parking (too expensive at £15,000 per space, according to NHS Property Services) or a multi-storey car park on the site (not dismissed, but likely to face cost and planning issues).
The majority of the interim site will become a building site for construction of a new building by NHS Property Services, following commissioning by CCG, in a process expected to last around three years:
Throughout the meeting, the words ‘engage’ and ‘engagement with the community’ were repeatedly used. PPDRA looks forward to genuine consultation, and has asked to be part of the process.
Issues that matter for Weybridge residents were the topic of a useful meeting between local residents’ groups and the Surrey County Councillor for Weybridge, on 20 September.
Clr Tim Oliver met with representatives of local residents groups in Weybridge, including the Weybridge Society, Portmore Park & District RA and Triangle Residents.
In advance of the meeting, PPDRA circulated a list of Surrey-related things that concern residents of our part of north Weybridge. Most of these were covered constructively in the meeting.
Below we list the PPDRA issues, plus Tim Oliver’s agenda. Summary of some key points covered in discussion to follow.
1/ Parking concerns in north Weybridge
2/ Traffic flows and speeds in north Weybridge
3/ Any SCC plans to reduce the overall negative impact of traffic on Weybridge?
4/ Safer cycle routes
5/ Pavements
6/ Public Footpaths
7/ Road surfaces / potholes
8/ Impacted gullies causing recurrent road flooding
9/ Weybridge Community Hospital
10/ Town centre improvement initiatives
11/ Future housing plans – SCC involvement?
12/ Possibilities for SCC supporting community & voluntary involvement?
Happily, the PPDRA issues overlapped considerably with the agenda suggested by Tim Oliver:
AGENDA
Introductions
Purpose of the meeting
Future meetings
The long awaited Weybridge Parking Review decision seems to have been delayed again, and there is no reliable information available about when Surrey County Council will complete the review. But there is now a parallel local initiative to look at the problem.
Residents will recall that the draft SCC Weybridge Parking Review proposals caused a lot of concern locally, so much so that they were sent back for further work. SCC received hundreds of comments, and it seems to be taking a very long time to consider these. We hear that a Surrey County Council meeting to discuss local roads this month was cancelled at short notice. No reason was given, but it coincides with a dire financial position (£120 million shortfall) and budget uncertainty. There are concerns locally that the SCC Weybridge Strategic Parking Review may be cut back or put on hold indefinitely.
Meanwhile the Weybridgetown Business Group and Weybridge Society are collaborating to take a much needed longer term strategic look at Weybridge parking needs and possibilities. You can download a press release announcing the Weybridge Parking Project 2017_18 here.
As part of that voluntary local activity, they are seeking the views of local residents groups.
PPDRA input submitted in January 2016 to the SCC Weybridge Strategic Parking Review is shown below.
Do you think that the comments below are a relevant and fair reflection of Weybridge parking needs in 2017? If you live, work or shop in Weybridge, or are a concerned visitor, please let us know your thoughts.
Portmore Park & District Residents Association (PPDRA) recognises that Weybridge needs adequate parking for residents, shoppers, visitors and workers, if our town is to thrive. We also know that this is a difficult balance to achieve.
The PPDRA committee broadly welcomes the principle of reducing parking restrictions to help increase capacity, where that is possible and desirable, so long as
We welcome the principle of consulting residents of individual roads about the specific needs of their road, especially where residents are being displaced from limited parking spaces in their own road.
PPDRA believes there is a very strong need for more public off-street parking, priced more affordably, and convenient for Weybridge town centre. This is a view which has been widely expressed by local residents in our community meetings and surveys. Cheap or free short stay parking in particular could help the town centre thrive. Affordable long stay off-street parking is also much needed, within reasonable walking distance.
We recognise that allowing on-street parking can have positive outcomes beyond a simple increase in parking capacity, especially in potential rat runs. Traffic speeds in our local residential roads are a major issue. Parked cars can be a positive natural form of traffic calming: for example, Portmore Park Road and Thames Street are unclassified residential roads which without parked cars might become high speed rat runs for through traffic.
Thames Street and Portmore Park Road include schools and a church, which have different parking needs and impacts on the community, meriting additional thought about how best to enable the required mainly short stay parking nearby. PPDRA has met with St George’s Junior School 3 times a year since 2002, liaising on issues including how best to manage school run drop off and pick up parking. We have also discussed parking issues with representatives of Christ The Prince of Peace church and other local groups. We note that Thames Street has recently faced issues of excessive obstruction caused by inconsiderate parking at the upper end between the junction with Grotto Road and Monument Green.
The most serious parking issues locally arise close to Weybridge High Street. The Portmore Park and District area of north Weybridge has a fair density of mainly Victorian homes with no off-street parking. The lack of private off-street parking is a particular issue in roads adjacent to the High Street, where shoppers and town centre workers look to park their cars. The result has been that residents of these roads, returning from a school run or shopping journey, risk finding nowhere to park within walking distance of their home. Hence many living in these roads favour residents’ parking schemes.
PPDRA has long supported the principle that Surrey County Council should consult residents of individual roads about specific residents’ parking schemes for their road.
The PPDRA committee also recognises the need to permit short term shopper and visitor parking in such roads, with a good level of churn, so long as it allows for the needed level of daytime residents’ parking. It is not good to see ‘residents only’ parking zones with few parked cars in daytime, when shoppers can find nowhere to park and when local shops are in need of footfall.
Further from the High Street, many homes in Portmore Park & District have private off-street parking. For roads where there is no issue of residents being displaced from essential on-street parking, as a general principle the majority of the PPDRA committee would favour only minimal restrictions, simply where safety issues demand double yellow lines on dangerous corners. However, we appreciate that there is concern among residents in some roads (particularly Wey Road and Round Oak Road) about potential displacement of parking into their roads if CPZs are introduced elsewhere, and we feel this issue needs careful consideration by Surrey.
We are aware of specific issues in Radnor and Glencoe Roads where there is a very high density of houses and almost no off-street parking, and Church Walk which has very limited parking. Some residents of these and other roads rely on their parking being able to overflow into on-street parking in Portmore Park Road.
PPDRA would be happy to contribute further on any way possible to help support Surrey County Council (and Elmbridge Borough Council) in finding ways to achieve adequate parking for Weybridge residents, shoppers, visitors and workers.