Lib Dems get their facts wrong over Northfleet North residents only parking scheme

Independent Officers of Gravesham Borough Council have had to write to local residents in the Station Road/Stonebridge Road area of Northfleet North after Lib Dems distributed a misleading leaflet regarding residents only parking

Local County Councillors Ray Parker and Leslie Christie met sometime ago with residents to discuss ways of reducing commuter parking on the heavily congested Station Road, Hamerton Road, Railway Street and Stonebridge Road. Residents asked that consideration be given to finding a way to limit the amount of commuter parking.

• Lib Dem Members inaccurately told local residents that:
• The proposal would reduce on street parking and mean more yellow lines
• The cost of the residents parking permit would be prohibitive.
• The permit would be registered to your car.

Firstly, the proposal will not reduce the amount of available on-street parking, as no extra double yellow lines are proposed.

Secondly, the cost of the permit is a one-off payment to cover the Council’s administration costs and permits would normally be valid for five years, i.e. £3 per year. The permit would be registered to your property and not a specific vehicle. Therefore the permits could equally be used by your visitor or tradesman and yourself. You would therefore not need to apply for a new permit if you changed your car. Obviously if the permit is lost or damaged a £5 administration fee would be charged for a replacement permit.

I would stress the purpose of the Scheme is to give residents a greater opportunity to park in their own street by deterring all day parking by commuters using Northfleet Station. The proposal restriction would only be for a half hour period between 10.00 and 10.30 Monday to Friday. This type of restriction has proved very effective at deterring commuters parking around other railway stations, whilst causing minimum inconvenience to residents.

The reason for extending the proposed Scheme to adjacent roads where possibly commuter parking is limited is that if parking was only restricted in Station Road parking would inevitably migrate. In the longer term some residents have also raised concerns that commuter parking will increase once the new station at Ebbsfleet open.

The Scheme also allows residents in Stonebridge Road and part of Northfleet High Street to apply for permits as it is appreciated that they cannot legally park on-street. Therefore their only alternative is to park in adjacent side roads which would be within the proposed Controlled Parking Zone.