Cambridge Cycling Campaign

Summary of Camcycle’s views

Cambridgeshire County Council is consulting on updates to its Residents’ Parking Scheme Policy. Changes proposed include increasing the maximum allowable length of a motor vehicle eligible for a permit. Read the Residents’ Parking Scheme Policy, as well as a summary of the proposed changes on the consultation website. 

Camcycle believes that allowing residents to park larger motor vehicles would take this policy in the wrong direction. The policy should instead be strengthened so that it acts more powerfully to ease congestion, improve road safety and promote more sustainable forms of transport. In particular, it should address on-street residents’ cycle parking as well as motor vehicle parking. Many residents want or need to travel by cycle rather than by car or van, yet some cannot because they have nowhere to store a cycle securely.

Consultation guide

Q1 and 2)
These ask if you live in Cambridgeshire and whether you currently hold a valid Cambridgeshire County Council resident parking permit.

Q3) A small number of changes have been proposed. Some simply offer more clarity on existing policy and practices and have little effect on the day-to-day experience of parking scheme permit holders. Other proposed changes could have a more significant operational impact. We would welcome your views on the following sections, those proposed changes that are felt to have the greatest impact.   How far do you support or oppose the following sections?

• OPERATIONAL HOURS
  The County Council proposes to extend parking enforcement of residents’ bays to include Bank Holidays.We recommend you answer DEFINITELY AGREE.
  Demand for car parking could be greater on Bank Holidays. Scheme rules are also easier to follow and more likely to be adhered to if they are consistent.
• PRIORITISING A RESIDENT PARKING SCHEME
  When potential new residents’ car parking schemes need to be ranked in order of priority, it is proposed that county councillors provide the information required, rather than officers.We suggest you answer according to your own views.
• PROPERTY ELIGIBILITY
  An appeals route is proposed if a permit application is refused on property eligibility grounds.We suggest you answer according to your own views.
• VEHICLE ELIGIBILITY
  Currently residents can only apply for permits for vehicles that are 5m long or shorter. The County Council proposes extending the maximum eligible vehicle length to 5.4m.We suggest you answer DEFINITELY DISAGREE
  Allowing vehicles that are longer is contrary to the county council’s overarching objectives to ease congestion, improve road safety, promote more sustainable forms of transport and create a greener, fairer Cambridgeshire.
• REVOKING PERMITS
  The County Council seeks to formalise the process surrounding revoking permits.We recommend you answer DEFINITELY AGREE.
  It should be clear what action will be taken if permits have been misused or fraudulently obtained.

Q4) Do you feel the document is clear?

We suggest you answer NO. 

You could include the following point, as well as your own views:

The Resident Parking Policy only concerns motor vehicle parking, yet over a third of households in Cambridge have no car or van and the city has the highest levels of cycling of anywhere in the UK. Some residents do not have the choice to cycle because they cannot store cycles securely. The policy should be expanded to include on-street residents’ cycle parking.  If residents’ cycle parking is addressed under a separate policy, this policy should make clear it is specifically about motor vehicle parking. 

Q5) What impact do you feel the proposals would have on any person/s or group/s protected under the Equality Act 2010?

We suggest you answer according to your own views.

Q6) Do you feel this policy supports the Council’s corporate commitments?
https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/council/finance-and-budget/business-plans

You may wish to use some of the following text in your answer as well as your own personal views:

• The Resident Car Parking Policy should be strengthened to better support the council’s corporate commitments to a greener, fairer Cambridgeshire, in which travel is safer and more environmentally sustainable travel.
  
• Residents’ needs for secure cycle parking, including parking for non-standard cycles such as cargo cycles, should be considered under the same policy.
  
• Permit charges should be set to influence car parking demand and contribute to road safety, environmental and traffic management objectives. 
• The policy should include a clear ambition and targets to reduce the total number of motor vehicles parking on Cambridgeshire’s streets in order to create more space for walking, wheeling and cycling, green spaces and community spaces. 
• The policy should rule out ownership of the biggest vehicles by maintaining a maximum vehicle length of 5m and also specifying a maximum vehicle width 
• The policy should also encourage ownership of smaller vehicles 
• The policy should discourage ownership of more polluting vehicles, with the cost of permits reflecting a vehicle’s emissions.