Residents to have say on Wellingborough parking plan

Published in the ET on the 28th January 2009

A solution is in sight for residents affected by severe parking problems near to a station.
Wellingborough Council last night promised to hold a public survey to gauge support for a £53,500 parking permit scheme in streets around the town's station.

Now the decision is in the hands of the residents and if more than half the households in the area support the scheme it will go ahead.

Part of the survey will cover streets in the Castle Ward area, while a separate scheme, which would need approval from 50 per cent of residents in affected streets, would cover people in Alma Street, Cannon Street, Great Park Street, Park Road and Herriots Lane.

The survey will be paid for in part by a donation of £1,500 from East Midlands Trains.

If the permit scheme goes ahead residents in affected streets could pay £25 for a parking permit in the first year.

This is expected to rise in subsequent years. Castle Ward councillors, who had pressed for people to have their say over the scheme, welcomed the decision but said there had been an unnecessary delay when the council's development committee initially refused to consider the proposals.

Cllr Paul Crofts said: "We welcome the fact that the process is back on course and people will now be having a say on whether this scheme is used in their area.

"However, I think this really should have been done months ago."
Cllr Shashi Dholaki joined him in criticising the delay, while praising the work of people in pressing for their voices to be heard.

He said: "This scheme was put on hold for 12 months by the committee but we succeeded in getting in looked at again.

"I think groups such as the Castle Area Road Safety Action Group (CARSAG) have really worked hard.

"It is down to their hard work that we have this issue back on track."
The action group has campaigned strongly for a solution to the parking problems near to the station, which it said was making life unpleasant, difficult and unsafe for residents. If approved, the new scheme could be in place by the end of August.

CARSAG