Many of you will remember the parking chaos this time last year. As COVID restrictions eased many Bristol residents headed outdoors, at times it seemed they were all coming to Leigh Woods! We were successful in getting yellow lines put down at short notice across the village. Although some were skeptical of the need for this I believe it has been a resounding success. My hope is that we will look back at the implementation of the full residents parking scheme in a similar way.
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Leigh Woods parking scheme receives final approval
Ashley Cartman • Dec 06, 2021
Final hurdle crossed, scheme implementation imminent
North Somerset Council has now published its final decision to proceed with the implementation of a residents parking scheme in Leigh Woods. Work is expected to commence early in the new year with the scheme expected to 'go-live' either at the end of January or early February. You can view the report, including a map of the final scheme layout, by clicking here.
Residents will be written to in January and will be given at least two week to apply for permits.
Can I see a map with the final scheme details?
Yes! The report now published on North Somerset Councils website contains a map of Leigh Woods and I have included a copy of this map below. I appreciate it is difficult to read so would recommend you access the full report on the councils website if you wish to look at it in more detail (the map is on the final page of the report, page 26).
The long and winding road
My involvement started from the the very moment I was elected as one of your local North Somerset Councillors in May 2019 and I am pleased that over 2 years later we have eventually reached this point. There are others who have worked on proposals for even longer and their efforts have been invaluable. The numerous comments and suggestions from residents have also been instrumental in improving the scheme.
Your comments have been crucial. I personally have met with Council staff weekly for over 6 months to ensure your voice was heard. Every comment and suggestion, supportive or not, was discussed and debated. Nothing was ever dismissed out of hand. This has resulted in significant changes and a much improved scheme.
I appreciate that some residents remain sceptical about the scheme, a change of this magnitude was never going to receive unanimous approval. However, extensive consultation has been undertaken and dozens of changes made to the scheme design over many months.
Some of these changes have been significant. In May 2019 the scheme slated for implementation would have prevented anyone, resident or not, from parking on the road all day without moving the their vehicle. Not only has this been removed but we are now ensuring spaces are specifically reserved for residents and their guests. Other significant changes have been made more recently, these include revision to proposals around the Church and on North Road.
The report issued by the council (click here to access the report on the North Somerset website) not only includes a summary of the comments and objections received but also details where amendments have been made in response to concerns.
A full post implementation review
Although a great deal of thought has been put into the design of the scheme and we have consulted widely there are bound to be things that have been missed. It is because of this that I have asked that a full review be undertaken after 6-12 months operation to identify whether any changes are required.
How this review will be undertaken, and the extent of resident involvement, is yet to be decided. However, I remain committed to ensure that your voice is represented and heard.