Challenging parking restrictions

Thomas_Holding

AdrianC wrote: »

So there y'go, then.
Not much inconvenience to your customers - you just lend them the visitor permit while they're attending your premises.
Small added annual expense to your business.

The visitors permit can only be used once and it will cost about 15% of my hourly rate. That is not a small expense.

AdrianC

Ah. They don't do an annual visitor permit?

Thomas_Holding

AdrianC wrote: »

Ah. They don't do an annual visitor permit?

No sadly not.

Penelopa.Pitstop

Thomas_Holding wrote: »

At the moment my road has parking restrictions from 12pm to 2pm, the local council will make this 6am to 6pm.
I want to object to this because :-
(...)
4) The council says we need this because of new restaurants near us, but when they gave permission for these, we were told that our parking would not be affected, so they lied.
To me it just seems a tax

So is it suppose to stop these delivery vans/lorries coming to restaurants and park for free? Why not put parking restrictions by restaurants then?

Thomas_Holding

Penelopa.Pitstop wrote: »

So is it suppose to stop these delivery vans/lorries coming to restaurants and park for free? Why not put parking restrictions by restaurants then?

It is because customers for the restaurants park in our road rather than pay for parking. It is too far for delivery vans to do it (about a 5 minute walk).

Bigphil1474

Have they got their times the wrong way round - surely if evening parking is the issue, the limits should be 6pm to 6am, not the other way round. Sounds more like trying to stop commuter parking during the day time. Instead of complaining to the council, speak to your local councillor. If you get them on board they may have more sway.

Thomas_Holding

Bigphil1474 wrote: »

Have they got their times the wrong way round - surely if evening parking is the issue, the limits should be 6pm to 6am, not the other way round. Sounds more like trying to stop commuter parking during the day time. Instead of complaining to the council, speak to your local councillor. If you get them on board they may have more sway.

There is no commuter parking at the moment because there are already limited restrictions.

Thomas_Holding

CardinalWolsey wrote: »

Ask the council for a copy of the highways study they (or rather, the appropriate highways authority, depending upon whether your are covered by a district/county or unitary authority) have carried out, including the car volume sampling and empty/full parking space counts during the time periods they wish to apply additional restrictions.

This may assist - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/409815/150305_-_Guidance_on_Parking_Reviews_FINAL.pdf

Thanks for that, I did ask the relevant official and the councilors.
The official has not replied yet, but the councilors say that it was popular but won't give me the figures.

CardinalWolsey

Thomas_Holding wrote: »

Thanks for that, I did ask the relevant official and the councilors.
The official has not replied yet, but the councilors say that it was popular but won't give me the figures.

The point here is that the council cannot just decide to introduce punitive parking restrictions because it feels like it. It needs to do the analysis and then go out to consultation. The reason why the member won't give you the figures is that there probably aren't any, and they are making it up. Push the officer for the information, and if they don't want to disclose, make a FOI request.

Thomas_Holding

CardinalWolsey wrote: »

The point here is that the council cannot just decide to introduce punitive parking restrictions because it feels like it. It needs to do the analysis and then go out to consultation. The reason why the member won't give you the figures is that there probably aren't any, and they are making it up. Push the officer for the information, and if they don't want to disclose, make a FOI request.

Thank you for that, there was a consultation - but that did not mention any figures and they said that it was popular, which is not true.
I will wait until next week and then make a FOI request if necessary.

If there are no figures and it just is arbitrary, what can I do? Who can I complain to? I don't have the money for a lawyer, even if it were an open and shut case.
To me it feels like that people have complained about certain times e.g. parents dropping off children at the local primary school or late at night, and the council has decided to use this an excuse to have draconian restrictions.
The councilor says "We have restrictions all day,rather than just at specific times or it will be too confusing".
I wonder if there is anywhere in the UK, where there are restrictions from just e.g. 8-9am, 3-4pm (which are the only problem times to be honest, because of the school)?