Councillors support permit parking scheme for Cambridge area despite claims it is ‘not wanted or needed’

Support has been given to a new scheme to restrict parking around the Milton Road area in Cambridge despite claims it is “not wanted and is not needed”.

The project was put forward to tackle parking problems including from commuters who use the area for free parking.

Cambridgeshire County Council said residential parking schemes aim to give people a “fair chance” of parking close to their homes although they do not guarantee a space.

The Milton Road area scheme is due to cover the Ascham area, the Chesterton Triangle area, and the Arbury Road, Hurst Park Avenue and Leys Road area.

In some parts on-street parking is due to be restricted with double yellow lines, and in other areas restricted to people with a permit to park.

Some mixed-use bays are proposed near the dental practice in Hurst Park Avenue for permit holders to use or for people to park temporarily for two hours.

Under the new restrictions a permit would be needed to park in the area between 9.30am to 3pm, Monday to Friday. Blue Badge holders would be able to park without needing a permit.

A review of the scheme after six months is proposed by the council, and the suggestion has been made that changes to improve it could be made at that point.

A public consultation held on the proposals received 288 objections, with 75 people offering support and 18 people providing a neutral response.

At a Cambridge joint area committee meeting on Monday, 29 July, councillors from the county council and Cambridge City Council heard some of the concerns people in the area had about the scheme.

Paul Harvey argued the scheme was “not wanted and not needed”, questioning what evidence there was that commuter parking was an issue in the area.

Andrew Milbourn, chair of Hurst Park Residents Association, said many people in the area had been left feeling that they had “not been listened to” when they had raised concerns about the plans.

However, not everyone opposed the plans, Martin Lucas-Smith said he supported the plans as someone who walks and cycles through the area. He argued he did not think they went far enough along Arbury Road, where he said “except laybys for shops there should be no parking at all”.

Concerns were raised about the scheme’s impact on the Havenfield retirement housing off Arbury Road, which has “limited on site parking”.

County council leader Cllr Lucy Nethsingha suggested dedicated temporary parking bays for Havenfield could be created after the scheme was introduced. Officers said this was something they could look at as part of the six month review. The committee voted unanimously to support the new parking restrictions.