Issue - meetings

To provide a report on the informal consultation that was held to gauge the views of the local community in Englefield Green about introducing a parking permit scheme.

The Runnymede Joint Committee AGREED:

(i)            That the Joint Committee asks the Englefield Green Parking Task Group to reconvene to discuss the results, look at how we can better engage with the local community and what other parking controls options would be suitable for the area.

Reasons for recommendation:

The total number of responses, 117 out of a total of 533 properties invited to participate (22%), has provided insufficient data to progress with a permit scheme with any confidence. We would have liked to see a much higher response rate to get a good representation of resident’s views from across the whole consultation area, with a significant majority expressing support.

Declarations of Interest: None

Officers attending: David Curl, Parking Strategy and Implementation Team Manager; Peter Wells, Parking Engineer

Petitions, Public Questions, Statements: None.

Member Discussion – key points:

The Parking Strategy and Implementation Team Manager introduced the report and explained that the consultation referred to in the report came about because the University was increasing the amount of student accommodation in the area and developing a Travel Plan for staff and students including introducing parking charges on the campus. This could lead to more pressure on street parking nearby. The university was part of the Englefield Green task group that agreed to proceed with the consultation. However, the response rate was disappointing and too low to allow any recommendation that parking restrictions be introduced.

Cllr Heath thanked officers for their work on the consultation. She stated that it is a difficult problem to resolve with paid-for permits being the only real way to reduce parking on the roads; in addition, planned developments in Egham and the switch to electric cars will do nothing to reduce demand for space. The university has expressed its willingness to be help arrive at a workable solution and with their support this is a good basis for reconvening the task group.

A revised recommendation was proposed by Cllr Heath and seconded by Cllr Prescot using wording from Option 3.2 on page 16 of the agenda pack to replace the three original officer recommendations. Committee voted in favour of the new recommendation. 

Resolved:

The Runnymede Joint Committee AGREED:

(i)            That the Joint Committee asks the Englefield Green Parking Task Group to reconvene to discuss the results, look at how we can better engage with the local community and what other parking controls options would be suitable for the area.

Reasons for recommendation:

The total number of responses, 117 out of a total of 533 properties invited to participate (22%), has provided insufficient data to progress with a permit scheme with any confidence. We would have liked to see a much higher response rate to get a good representation of resident’s views from across the whole consultation area, with a significant majority expressing support.