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Students' parking troubles neighbours
3:22pm Tuesday 13th November 2007
Comments (6)WEEKE residents who are up in arms about proposed parking restrictions for their roads say they want flexibility.
About 40 of them met at Peter Symonds College on Friday (November 9) to discuss Winchester City Council proposals to stop parking in six streets between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Saturday.
The residents say that their lives are blighted by college students parking in their roads often lining both sides of the street, but that such restrictions would make their lives more difficult, not easier.
At the meeting, they voted to ask for shorter hours, from 10am to 4pm Monday to Friday, instead.
But the big worry was that the council had a blanket policy for the whole district, where every street has to have the same parking times, something the council confirmed this week.
The meeting was organised by resident Steve Feeney who, like many present, said he was against parking restrictions completely, but said it might be the only way forward.
The plans cover Vernham Road, St Matthews Road, Wessex Drive, St Stephens Road, Kynegils Road and Lynch Close.
Mr Feeney said: "Parking is an issue in Vernham Road during term times and it is only during term times as far as I can see."
The college now has 2,820 students and some residents were worried that the new restrictions, if imposed, would simply move the problem further into the Weeke estate.
Clive Beard, of Vernham Road, said: "We're not resolving the problem, we're just shifting it somewhere else.
"They will park wherever they will park and will walk as far as they have to."
He said alternatives were needed, including more parking onsite.
College bursar, Paul Warren, who was present, said "a lot of sense" had been spoken at the meeting and that he was "embarrassed" by the parking problems caused by students "We actively encourage them (students) to come on public transport, or on foot, or on bikes.
"I know this parking is a massive problem, I want to try and find a solution," he said.
Two city councillors for the area, Anne Saunders and Eileen Berry, went along and said they would press the council to go with the shorter restriction times.
Cllr Saunders said it was "perfectly reasonable" to have different times for different roads.
Other suggestions included expanding the Park and Ride bus route to include the college and more parking on site. Mr Warren said he would welcome talks with the city council on those ideas.
Council traffic engineer, Neville Crisp, said: "We will listen to the residents of Weeke about the restrictions they want to see put in place, however we do currently have a controlled zone order for the whole of the city between 8am and 6pm Monday to Saturday.
"A variance from this scheme could cause problems with enforcement and we need to ensure that any new scheme can be effectively implemented.
"This is an important decision which will be decided by councillors as soon as possible."
The deadline for comments to the council is this Friday, (November 15).
*What do you think about student parking in the city? Are you affected either as a resident or student?
Your Say YourThis is Hampshire
Steve Feeney, Weeke says...
10:53am Wed 14 Nov 07
Jane, Winchester says...
2:42pm Wed 14 Nov 07
ution problems will not be solved until public transport is made more accessible and affordable. It seems ridiculous that it is cheaper for students to run a car than use public transport but I am sure this is the case.
Amy, Winchester says...
3:29pm Wed 14 Nov 07
I can guarente, if you yellow-line or create permit parking, we will still drive in, and we will park on other surrounding roads.
Christine Smith, Ambler, USA says...
3:38pm Wed 14 Nov 07
1- Obviously there is a problem on Vernham Road- it is safety hazard- eg fire engines could not get through
2- I feel residents of this quiet estate are being punished for a situation that is not their responsibility- other solutions need to be found that involves the school and its students and not the residents
3- My mother had carers coming to her house 3x/day, plus other visitors, her driveway is narrow and steep and difficult to enter and exit- where would they be expected to park?
3- Parking restrictions will make houses difficult to sell and reduce prices
3- Will the council patrol on Saturdays and during school holidays and ticket residents parking outside their own houses?
I hope a solution can be found to this problem- it just seem to me that the proposals are too extreme for a problem that can be solved by other measures.
Christine Smith, Ambler, PA, USA
Resident, Vernham Road says...
4:01pm Mon 3 Dec 07
Parking restrictions do not seem to address the initial and overwhelming issue that permanent parking needs to be found for the Peter Symonds students. It is only the Symonds students that have caused this parking issue, all around this area.
By imposing the restrictions on the proposed areas, it will simply have the effect of pushing the students further away. I can only see that the remaining roads without current restrictions will end up suffering the same way we did when the restrictions were imposed on Lynford Way and Lynford Avenue.
Why should we have restrictions on a Saturday at at times way beyond when the students have gone home, invariably 3:30pm? Not only that but take into account term dates and the long summer holiday when parking is not an issue, however, we are left with restrictions on a road that does not require them. When I left for work at 9am this morning I could only see residents cars in the road and certainly no more than 5 cars parked at the busier end of the road.
I choose to walk to work and leave the car on the driveway. My parents currently look after my children and park outside our house, with no problems. With the restrictions they will inevitably end up walking 3 toddlers halfway down the road to take them out.
It is wrong for us to suffer, permenantly, with these severe restrictions when the initial issue is not even discussed.
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Jonathan Walker, Weeke says...
5:03pm Tue 13 Nov 07
I live in St. Stephens Road & object strongly to the councils proposals to restrict parking in this area simply because students from Peter Symonds College park in adjacent roads.
During the first council consultation process, I voted for option C, no change as I felt that Peter Symonds College should be responsible for sorting this problem out as it seems largely Peter Symonds students who park in the surrounding roads during term time college hours & who are causing the difficulties. Also, as far as I can see, they were not parking in St. Stephens Road at all so why is it necessary to restrict parking here anyway?
The College should be taking more responsibility in this matter & the council should be talking to them about how they can ease the situation perhaps with more dedicated on-site college parking &/or somehow using the existing Park & Ride scheme to bus students to the college site.
It should not be residents (& their invited guests) who suffer parking restrictions as a result of this invasion of students cars.
In my view, this is totally unacceptable & unreasonable as there is currently absolutely no problem with parking at present near my house despite the Peter Symonds students incursion into roads nearby. This new proposal will just push the student parking problem further out to other roads.
One member of our household also works shifts & as we currently have no off-street parking, this will mean that on occasions we will be at home during the working day with nowhere to park the car!
I realise that there will not be any restriction on parking between numbers 4 to 22 or 27 to 33 but feel that this does not go far enough to resolving the problem regarding residents parking.
I would urge the authorities to reconsider this whole matter & resolve to just leave well alone & not to interfere with the parking in St. Stephens Road at all.
Jonathan Walker