Forum Topic

Why did you vote that way?

No - not about Brexit but the now to be implemented new parking arrangements for BRS CPZ.Having just written a message about this and it having disappeared somehow and not feeling like writing it all out again I would just like to ask, once again, as to why the majority of people voted for the extension of hours to this scheme. Having done two recces this morning which took me round the block (Braemar, Griffin to Mafeking, Mafeking, end of Mafeking to Ealing Road, Ealing Road back to Braemar) I can say that there were many, many free spaces all round. One example - Braemar at 10.30a.m. (existing time of CPZ) 27 and at 11.40a.m. (in new time) 24.Just what do you think you have achieved through doing this other than making life more expensive for those with visitors, those needing carers and for delivery drivers? Did you think it through that you will now have to pay for two hours on the Visitor passes if you have a visitor at those times (currently 80p and hour, could go up to £1.00). Did you have any other thought in your head other than maximising the chances of parking outside your own front door?On top of this it seems that the existing signage is to be amended and not changed which I can only image may well look pretty tatty and do nothing to add to the street scene.

Anne England ● 2524d11 Comments

"We have seen the chaos that ensues"and you love the chaos that ensues....it makes you feel All Powerful (see Church Street, Twickenham Road et el)

Steve Taylor ● 2519d

The small no. of people who voted in the BRS CPZ most likely comes down to people not bothering to vote and not that they didn't receive the papers. There will no doubt be those who dispute that, particularly once the new hours become operational.I'm still waiting for somebody to say why they thought that extending the hours of operation by one hour in the a.m. and one hour in the p.m. was a good idea - particularly as it is demonstrably unnecessary. The changes kicked off today and are coming your way any day now.

Anne England ● 2520d

We live at the end of one CPZ where it joins another so parking is critical for us as we can't just park around the corner without risking a parking ticket.  We waited for the new consultation on how it was working and then suddenly found out that nobody at our end of the street had had the forms delivered - yet the other end of the street had had them for ages.  We had to ask the Council (LBE) two more times before we had them delivered/sent to us. You can't be sure that any of these things have been delivered even if the box has been ticked at the Council.

Philippa Bond ● 2520d

Most of these CPZ 'votes' are deceptive, as the number actually voting is fairly small, so an apparent 'majority' isn't at all representative. On top of that, it's mainly motorists who vote for ever-extended hours, ignoring the plight of non-car owners who have to pay more and more for their visitors to park. My daughter used to live in a zone that covered evenings and weekends, so it cost about £20 for someone to stay over the weekend and a tenner for a dinner party!

Peter Evans ● 2522d

Maybe not although I remember only too well that there were just a very few in the pre-CPZ days who laid a claim to the road by placing cones and bits of detritus in the road to do that very thing.Anyway, I still haven't had one person reply as to why they did vote for the extension of hours. Equally to the point, why was there such a low response all round - why didn't people bother to vote? This is what you get for indifference/non-engagement and I bet there'll be a load of moans once the new times come into place, perhaps even cries of 'Nobody told me!' (I was assured by the powers that be that all households in the area were sent the voting papers.)I could dig out the papers with the numbers who voted in each street but it isn't going to make any difference now.

Anne England ● 2523d

I have never heard a councillor expressing zeal for this, but I had a number of moans about the review of the CPZ, promised at the time it was originally put in, not taking place after 12 months as planned but being delayed.I can tell you flat that councillors (round here anyway) never lobby for CPZs or for particular hours. If anything, I think hours tend to be too extensive.Further, the only time we (and traffic) go against the local vote is where a single street votes against the views of surrounding streets. We have seen the chaos that ensues (see Whitestile Road).

Guy Lambert ● 2523d

I don't think anyone who voted for this did so in a malicious attempt to be able to park outside their own front door.

Sam Pollard ● 2523d

'And 9 out of 10 time it will be us residents paying for that.'Too true - I don't have visitors come by car at all often but have always given the visitor a parking pass - this will now be £1.60 per morning or evening visit (soon to go up to £2.00?) or £3.20 (£4.00?) if they are staying for the day/night.As for remembering the CPZ is even there, I have only just after 30 odd years of living here with no CPZ got it into my head that one exists. Even now though should a person stay a tad longer than originally thought (as recently with a workman who came to give an estimate), I suddenly find myself shouting 'Oh my ...!'I really wouldn't mind if the pressure on parking was such that this change is necessary - instead it has come about through a very few individuals (who admittedly at least bothered to vote). I am asking again, WHY did you vote this way if you are one of those people? Was it by any chance because you just don't like other people parking in 'your' road or that you wanted to maximise the chance of parking outside your own front door?

Anne England ● 2523d

Well, it make one wonder if this was not some sort of set up.Looking back over this website alone there are almost no gripes and groans about the BRS CPZ other than some poor signage and over zealous ticketing incidents. Very little indeed about parking since the CPZ began and almost zero compared to the stuff about recycling boxes and wheelie bins and Morrisons, developments and  potholes.The fact so few responded really indicates contentment and as such they should have determined that things should be left be.But others have heard councillors express a zeal for this which makes one wonder if this is yet another manipulation to extract money from those who can least afford it. Carers, and service people, and visiting friends. And 9 out of 10 time it will be us residents paying for that.

Raymond Havelock ● 2524d

I accept that it was put to the vote and that the majority voted for the change. You are right though - precious few people bothered to vote and I wouldn't be surprised if a good many get a surprise when the changes are brought in, including some who voted for it.What I would love to know is why a (small) majority of people who bothered to vote voted this way. At the time I wrote to the powers that be about the proposed changes and (from what I remember) had the reply that Councils are obliged to review the workings of CPZs some time after they are brought in.This is what you get for non-engagement/not thinking things through - a change for the worse.

Anne England ● 2524d

So few responded to a 'consultation' that many streets within the zone had no desire or cause to demand or request that it is a rather odd situation.There are far more pressing and urgent issues even within the BRS zone but not a finger is lifted to deal with those issues.So this has to be about raising cash and satisfying the contractors requirement for a profit.The problem is the consultation, conveniently hushed up during the election offered a confusing array of options and implied that the present timings were largely disliked.  Given that it was resident input on a large scale that supported the timings and that local conversation does not centre on the CPZ and parking indicates to me that it has worked pretty well in the main.In the end very few responded to the consultation compared to the amount of permit holders, far too few for the consultation to have any sort of mandate for change.But this happened before.  The original CPZ proposals were far from satisfactory and far too few residents responded to it.Then when the alarm bells rang a few residents started a petition with alternative proposals and when the petition exceeded the number of consultant respondents by a country mile, surprise , surprise our local councillors step in and suddenly it is all sorted Largely thanks to Ruth Cadbury who saw the damage it might have in the then forthcoming elections.So really it is down to residents in all streets to communicate with each other and if not happy get a new petition up or lobby the councillors, one or two of whom do not seem to be keen on how residents really feel.

Raymond Havelock ● 2524d