Local democracy

ePetition details

Review and Revoke the Permit Parking scheme for Steeton and Eastburn

We the undersigned petition the council to Review and revoke the Permit Parking scheme for Steeton and Eastburn

As it is now 3 years since the introduction of a parking permit scheme for Steeton and Eastburn, we are requesting that there is now a review of the scheme to determine whether it is still required. During this time there have been multiple resident petitions and surveys all asking for either changes or even to scrap it entirely. Now that charges have been introduced for the scheme, it only seems right that the Highways Department do a proper review and consultation of all residents to see if it is still required. Apart from the occasional hospital visitor who is mistaken by the poor signage of the scheme, very few people now park on Thornhill Rd. Certainly no staff, as they have all now been forced to buy permits to park in the hospital grounds. When this scheme was first proposed many residents only accepted it in the belief that it was going to be free. If the scheme was to be advertised again now, there would most likely be many more objections.
The main reason for introducing it was problems caused by hospital staff, part of which was simply lack of parking around the hospital. The hospital has now had to address this issue itself, and so has built an upper deck on one of its car parks. The circumstances have therefore clearly changed. The hospital is also now launching a consultation to build a multi-storey car park which will be the first stage before it goes ahead with any hospital rebuild. Therefore the argument that we will suffer from displaced parking whilst the hospital is rebuilt no longer holds water and the railway car park is now also complete.
The problem with parking was confined to a small number of streets, mainly Thornhill Rd, and was a relatively small number of vehicles. Yet now more or less the whole village must suffer the inconvenience and cost of the permit scheme, making life difficult for both residents and their legitimate visitors. A permit scheme has never been the right solution to this particular problem.
As we are told it costs the council money to run such schemes, it should be in the councils own interest to revoke this scheme as it will then be a long term cost saving. This cost saving should negate any cost incurred in carrying out the review.
There is an obligation under government guidance to review policies on a regular basis and amend or revoke orders that are no longer suitable for local conditions. Also in the explanation we were given recently by Parking Services, for the introduction of charges, it was stated that schemes are regularly reviewed.
Therefore we would be grateful if you could urgently review this scheme and in doing so decide that it is no longer required and revoke the traffic order.

This ePetition runs from 24/10/2024 to 05/12/2024.

216 people have signed this ePetition.