Letter to Bucks CC concerning the Civil Parking Enforcement Area

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The Chairman has submitted an urgent response to the Bucks CC call for comments on the parking regime of Marlow THE
MARLOW
SOCIETY
(registered with the Civic Trust)

Mr John Charlton,
Parking Manager,
Planning and Transportation Team,                                      PO Box. 3078.
Buckinghamshire County Council,                                     Marlow, Bucks.
County Hall,
Walton Street,
Aylesbury,
Bucks., HP20 1UA.

                                                                                                        27 April 2009
Dear Mr. Charlton

REVIEW OF MARLOW CIVIL PARKING ENFORCEMENT AREA

The Marlow Society has understood from the meeting you attended in Court Garden in July 07 that, after a period of enforced parking regulations introduced by the authorisation of a SPA, there would be a further 6 month period of consultation with interested parties which would commence on 1 March 09. The Society has now learnt from Marlow Town councillors that the Marlow Town Council has to collect inputs on the Civil Parking Enforcement Area [CPEA] from Marlow residents and organisations and has to submit these to the District Council by 30 April 09. This sudden change of plan and timescale, without public notification, has caused great concern and intimates that a totally different approach to that previously indicated is now in train.

It is understood that the concerns of the Marlow Society have to be registered with you by the end of this month. Following this the Society would expect to be involved in the consultation and review process set out in your email to us on 18th February 2008 which advised that,

                   ‘Any review being carried out will start with requests received
                    from local residents or town/parish councils or organisations
                    such as yours. A parking technician will visit the areas and make
                    recommendations as to whether the area will benefit from waiting
                    restrictions and the types of restrictions that could be considered.
                    This first review will enable us to identify the areas that require
                    restrictions and enable them to be set a priority. As you will
                    appreciate we may have a significant number of areas that need
                    restrictions but not an infinite budget’.

The traffic and parking issues that are of immediate concern to the Society and which are required to be included in this review are given below and should be assessed along with or in addition to any areas or locations specified by our Town Council. We understand that funding is not infinite but would expect a large contribution to the cost of implementing agreed and necessary regulations will be provided from the Traffic and Transport fund now amounting to some £3m which has been established from developer contributions over the past years, secured and ring fenced by 106 Agreements and disbursed to fund just this type of improvement.

The enforcement of parking regulations has provided a sound baseline from which to develop further policies and regulation covering the whole of the centre of Marlow. It has resulted in a better turnover of vehicles that require to park in the High Street and Institute Road. However, fundamental problems remain in surrounding roads especially those with houses built with no off street parking. Many such roads are now reduced during the working day to a single lane with passing places. These are too numerous to list in the time available but, for example, include the whole of the Claremont Road/Rise area, roads to the north of Riley Park, Station Road, Glade Road and all adjoining roads to the east and Westwood and Harwood Roads to the west. The Society notes that residents only parking schemes seem to operate successfully in Crown Road and St Peter Street. Residents in similar streets with no off road parking should have the opportunity to ask for similar arrangements.

There is a fundamental conflict between the needs of residents and drivers entering the town for business or pleasure. It is the Society’s opinion that the desires of residents of each street should be sought and reviewed and that a considered, equitable regulatory regime should be agreed and adopted. It is understood that such a procedure was followed in High Wycombe and therefore is equally applicable to Marlow.

Many members of the Society have expressed a strong disapproval of the increasing amount of parking on pavements and the damage done by parking on verges. The inconvenience to pedestrians and the damage ensuing caused by the former and the significant visual damage caused by the latter must be countered by a rigorous enforcement in all the roads under consideration.

It should be noted in the forthcoming review that all day commuter parking has extended further to the periphery of Marlow in the last year. Specific areas noted include Barnards Hill, Foxes Piece, Oak Tree Road, Pound Lane, Lower Pound Lane and Dean Street. It is therefore essential to recognise that the potential consequences of any changes to the parking regime in central Marlow will have a knock on impact on the periphery of the town and that these must be properly modelled and analysed.

The potential benefit of a park and ride scheme, extending the successful scheme in High Wycombe to Marlow, has long been mooted. Will your review include the consideration of such a scheme?

The Society wishes to support the proposal of the Marlow Town Council for the introduction of specific sections of the High Street to be allocated specifically for buses / taxis, registered disabled drivers and the delivery of goods.

You will recollect that last year the WDC conducted a survey of public opinion on the introduction of the SPA in Marlow. We assume that the results of this will be taken in to account. Separately the Society conducted a poll of its members on specific and wider aspects of the whole problem of parking in Marlow. This generated a significantly larger response that that received by the WDC and a copy of the analysis of responses is attached.

The Society sent a relevant letter to Cllr Letheren on 9 April 09. A copy of this is attached and we would request that you take particular note of the issues raised therein.

The Marlow Society wishes to be actively involved in the forthcoming review and the development of a revised traffic and parking regulations for the town. I look forward to receiving your agreement to this.

Yours sincerely,

RF Waters
Chairman
The Marlow Society

Copy to:

The Town Clerk, Marlow Town Council
Cllr Alex Collingwood
Cllr Audrey Jones
Cllr Neil Marshall
Cllr Maurice Oram
Cllr Richard Scott
Cllr Frank Sweatman
Cllr Roger Wilson

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