FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Visitors can pay £1.20 for 15 minutes up to a maximum of 3 hours. Residents can apply for up to 40 Visitor Permits per year, currently £5 for a six-hour block of time.

That is a fixed time period so, even if not used, cannot be carried over. In addition, permits must be purchased in advance in blocks of 5 costing £25. That might be prohibitive for some residents. The Equality Impact Screening Assessment particularly noted a negative impact for the cost of both parking and visitor permits noting ‘they may be prohibitive for those lower incomes which could be particularly prevalent amongst the younger and older populations who may not be in active or full-time employment. The same can be said for places where on-street ‘pay to park' charges apply which may deter people of all age groups from using local businesses and amenities, opting to visit retail parks or shopping areas that provide free parking.

Data released by the Office for National Statistics in 2021 identified that the youngest age group (16-24) and oldest age group (65+) have the least amount of disposable income, therefore, the cost implications associated with parking permit charges are likely to have a greater impact on those age groups’.

At the moment, there are no special dispensations for care, medical visits or pharmacy drop offs. Without dispensations, the cost of parking may end up being added to costs when currently such visits/pharmacy delivery services etc., are free.

Depending on how many hours your mother stays, you could use one of your visitor permits but that only covers 6 hours. Longer than that, she would have to top up via an on-street meter or you could use another visitor permit. Be mindful, if you do so, you could be using up to 4 of your annual allowance in one week.

If you don’t have your own off-street parking available, they will either have to pay for

the on street parking charges or use one of your visitor parking permits. Contractors may feel they have no alternative but to add the costs to their fee, as happens elsewhere.

This has been highlighted as a potential issue which could have a negative environmental impact by increasing water run off leading to potential flooding.

At the moment, all the parking issues, identified by the council but without any supporting evidence i.e. on pavements, dropped kerbs, hatching and emergency access points; safety issues for pedestrians and cyclists; and blockages for emergency and refuse vehicles, can be addressed by existing enforcement legislation. However, council has publicly stated that they are struggling to fill parking warden vacancies so it will obviously depend on how effective enforcement will be in the future.

New build owners will not be able to purchase residents’ parking permits even if insufficient onsite parking i.e. one parking space per property.

HMO residents will not be able to buy a permit.

Yes. You’d have to sort that out between you.

Unless the charity can afford to reimburse you, you will have to pay the £1.20 per 15 minutes charge.

No. Bear in mind that a resident permit for one area will not be valid for another.

Your employer would either have to purchase a business permit, currently £1050 each, or you will have to pay to park at a meter i.e. £1.20 for 15 minutes up to a maximum of 3 hours with no return within 30 minutes. How that will work in practice if employees are unable to leave to move their vehicle, prior to returning to their post, is not clear.

The council has stated that all revenue will be reinvested in transport though not necessarily in the area where the funds are raised.

Of the surveys made available on the Council website, all indicate more spaces available than used. Parking is under-capacity is rather than being overwhelmed. (Active Travel Strategy City Network, June 25). The council has not shared any further survey details despite stating that it carried them out last year.

Displacement is highly likely to occur. There has already been displacement due to e.g. reduction of parking spaces along the side of the park due to the cycle lanes.

More displacement is likely when the new bus lanes are introduced removing all parking on both sides of Kilmarnock Road. Similarly, with the introduction and road realigning from the hospital and along Battlefield Road. Mount Florida Community Council has already raised this as an issue with the council.