Around 3,500 residents in Sevenoaks can expect to receive details of new parking restrictions in their area over the coming days as one of the biggest ever reviews of on-street parking in the town reaches its culmination.
The new restrictions, which are expected to come in to effect on Monday 16 June, are aimed at better regulating parking facilities for commuters whilst minimising inconvenience to residents by trying to prevent the displacement of commuters in to residential roads.
Letters explaining the new regulations are currently being sent out to
all those living in affected roads, and the relevant signing and lining
work is now starting in the roads concerned.
The restrictions represent the result of nearly two years of work which
has seen local residents and businesses twice consulted on proposals to
improve local parking arrangements.
More than 3,000 letters for the first consultation and 4,000 letters
for the second consultation were sent to residents and resident
associations asking for their views in October 2006 and September 2007.
Sevenoaks District Council began the review after receiving comments
and requests from local people and resident groups about inconsiderate
and sometimes dangerous parking in their communities.
The measures include restricting parking in some residential areas,
issuing parking permits and making better use of some of the roads near
Sevenoaks railway station that currently have inappropriate or
ineffcient parking controls to allow managed commuter parking.
They also include additional parking bays for disabled drivers and for
school buses, some additional pay and display areas and new
restrictions near junctions and corners to improve road safety,
visibility and access for large vehicles.
Parking permits and visitors vouchers will be available for residents
who live in the roads affected. Permits will be made available to
owners of environmentally friendly vehicles such as hybrid or electric
cars at reduced rates to encourage green travel.
Visitors vouchers are also available for residents to purchase, and can
be given to visitors, or be used by residents, to park in parking bays.
They are available in books of five for £5 (up to a maximum of four
books per month) by post from the District Council. Applicants would
need to provide proof of residency in the area (for instance a copy of
a utility bill) with each application.
Cllr Gary Williamson, Sevenoaks District Council Cabinet member with
responsibility for transport issues, says: "This review has been a huge
piece of work and has been guided by the many comments we received from
local people during the two consultations. Obviously It has not been
possible to incorporate every single suggestion that has been made,
however we have done our very best to ensure that where possible the
views of the public have been listened to and used when drawing up the
new restrictions."
The plans were drawn up in consultation with the Council’s Sevenoaks
Parking Review Group, which comprises representatives from resident
associations, a representative from Sevenoaks Town Council, the Chamber
of Commerce and local Councillors.
The proposed restrictions went before the Joint Transportation Board in
December 2007 and Sevenoaks District Council’s Cabinet in January 2008.
When the restrictions come into effect there will be a short 'grace
period' of approximately a week where vehicles parked in contravention
of the new restrictions would be issued with warnings rather than fixed
penalty notices.
