When I was elected last May the very first issue I had to deal with was parking restrictions in Leigh Woods. For a number of years residents had been working to introduce restrictions to counter the commuter parking that had been displaced following Bristol City Councils introduction of parking restrictions in Clifton. A consultation on a proposed parking scheme was introduced just before the May 2019 election that ,although meeting the needs of many residents, was extremely unpopular with a significant number.
The core problem was that the previous council administration had steadfastly refused to countenance any form of residents parking permits anywhere in North Somerset. Yet, this was precisely what the vast majority of Leigh Woods residents wanted. I was pleased when within a few weeks I secured the permission of the new council to introduce a residents parking regime in Leigh Woods, the first scheme in North Somerset.
It has been a long and arduous process and the full scheme has yet to be introduced. But in response to unprecedented levels of parking in November following the second national lockdown we managed to persuade North Somerset Council to introduce a temporary traffic order to place yellow lines in key places around the village. The yellow lines currently in place are largely based on what the anticipated final scheme will include, with some notable exceptions.
Details of the full scheme were approved by the Executive of the Council in October and subject to a final consultation with residents we hope that it will be implemented in the spring of 2021. Key features are expected to include;
- Each household entitled to at least one permit for which there will be an annual charge. We don't expect there to be a limit on the number of permits per house but can only guarantee 1 at the moment. There will be an annual charge for each permit.
- Available space will broadly be divided equally between residents only, short term, and all day parking. Resident will be able to park in any of the spaces if they have a permit.
- Short term space is reserved around the Church and near the bridge.
- For visitors parking will be charged at £1 per hour, all day will be £5.
- Residents with a permit will also be allocated a number of visitor permits at no extra cost.
There remain many details to work out so if you have any concerns please let me know and I can see if changes can be made.