A Limited Waiting Scheme
The Limited Waiting Scheme (Zones 1a &1b)
Aims:
- To create a balance between commercial and residential needs as
they change throughout the day/week;
- To ensure maximum safe parking is available to businesses and
visitors during daytime hours;
- To ensure maximum safe parking is available to residents and
their guests during evenings and Sundays;
- To ensure that emergency service vehicles have access to local
residences and businesses at all times.
The Limited Waiting Scheme proposals, where implemented, are
designed to work in conjunction with the Highway Safety Scheme
proposals.
How it Works:
- Between 8am-6pm, Monday to Saturday vehicles will be allowed to
park for a maximum of 1 hour in the Ashford Road, East Cross, West
Cross and High Street parking bays. All other roads within Zones 1a
& 1b will be subject to restrictions between 8am – 10pm, Monday
to Saturday when a 2 hour limit will apply in the parking bays
provided;
- Vehicles will not be allowed to return to park again
within the Parking Zone for a period of 1 hour in the case of
the 1 hour parking bays or 4 hours in the 2 hour parking bays of
having previously been parked there;
- The Parking Zone will be regularly patrolled by the Council’s
Parking Attendants, with resources being concentrated on any
potential problem areas;
- Residents will have the option of purchasing an Exemption
Permit which will allow them to park at any time for any period in
the 2 hour parking bays provided within their Parking Zone;
- Up to 3 vehicles can be registered under a single Exemption
Permit but only 1 vehicle can use the permit at any given
time;
- Priority for Exemption Permit applications will be given to
those households without off-street parking;
- Those households without off-street parking facilities are
guaranteed an Exemption Permit upon application. A second permit
may be granted subject to availability;
- Those households with off-street parking may only apply for a
single Exemption Permit, subject to availability;
Exemption Permits will be available at a cost of £25 per year
(reviewed annually);
- Residents may purchase temporary Exemption Permits (valid in 2
hour parking bays only) for visitors at a cost of £1 per day;
- Temporary visitor Exemption Permits can be purchased in advance
in various quantities from Ashford Borough Council either in person
or by mail order. To use, simply scratch off the relevant day and
date panels and display;
- Vehicles displaying a valid disabled driver badge will be
automatically exempt.
FAQs – Zones 1a & 1b
Below are some of the questions that are most frequently asked
of the Parking Service when a controlled parking zone is to be
consulted.
Why is there a charge for an optional Exemption
Permit?
The new parking scheme will make it easier for you to park,
however the scheme will cost money to set up and run. Someone has
to pay. Our policy is that the people whom benefit from a parking
scheme are the people whom should pay for it. Our optional
Exemption Permits are currently among the cheapest in Kent at £25
per permit per year. The cost of a permit will be reviewed
annually to ensure that the Councils best value policy is being
honoured.
Will the scheme guarantee me a space outside my
house?
No. A controlled parking scheme on the public highway cannot
reserve specific parking spaces for individuals. However, the
removal of all day non-residential parking in residential areas
will make it easier to park near your home.
We don't have parking problems, so why include my
road?
The introduction of a limited waiting scheme to a busy area
encourages displaced drivers to look for parking opportunities just
outside the boundaries of the scheme. It may therefore be in your
interest to be part of the new parking zone rather than just
outside it.
Why not have one Exemption Permit for the whole
town?
The purpose of parking controls is to make it easier for people
to park near their homes. If the whole town was one big zone,
people in some areas would still suffer parking congestion caused
by people commuting from one end of the zone to the other.
Will I be able to use my Exemption Permit in the 1 Hour
Limited Waiting Bays?
No. The exemption permits are only valid for use in the 2 Hour
Limited Waiting Bays. This effectively means that they can be used
anywhere within your zone with the exclusion of Ashford Road (A28),
East Cross (A28), West Cross (A28), and High Street (A28)
Double yellow lines give us less room to park. Why have
them?
Yellow lines will not reduce the amount of safe parking spaces
available, they will simply make it clearer where it is or is not
safe to park. Double yellow lines will delineate areas where parked
cars could cause danger, for example at junctions or where parked
cars cause an obstruction. Clear junctions are safer for drivers
and pedestrians and allow cars to turn safely and pedestrians to
cross safely.
What about my visitors?
Your visitors can park for up to one or two hours within the
relevant authorised parking bay after which they will need to
display a Visitor Exemption Permit (only valid within the two hour
limited waiting bays). Visitor permits can only be purchased
by residents from the Council at a cost of £1 per permit.
Visitor permits can be purchased in advance and in various
quantities and are valid for as long as the scheme is in
operation. The permits require the user to scratch off the
day and month panels for the date they are in use.
Do we have to have signposts and lines?
Unfortunately, to enable a controlled zone to be enforced, it is
necessary to install road markings and signs. However, we are very
conscious of the appearance of the street scene and we will always
try to minimise the visual intrusion of the equipment. For example,
we try to minimise the size of the signs and locate them at the
back of the footway at boundary walls between properties and not
outside windows. A positive aspect is that controlled parking zones
can improve the visual environment by reducing the number of parked
vehicles.
How many Exemption Permits can we apply
for?
Those households without off-street parking facilities may apply
for a maximum of two Exemption Permits of which the first is
guaranteed, the second of which will be subject to availability.
Those households with off-street parking may apply for a single
Exemption Permit which will be granted subject to availability.
Those Exemption Permits left, following the allocation of
guaranteed permits, will be allocated according to need. Each
permit can be registered to up to three vehicles (the registration
numbers are printed on the permit). However, the permit is only
valid for one vehicle at any one time and is required to be
displayed within the vehicle parked on-street.
Will I still be able to park across my
access?
No, double yellow lines will have to be painted across the
driveway access because otherwise anyone could legally park there.
No exemption can be given for a specific driver to park.
What about enforcement?
Enforcement resources will be deployed as needs demand.
For example, if there was a sustained level of contravention within
a particular street or particular location, then Ashford Borough
Council’s Parking Services will concentrate its resources at these
problem areas.
This webpage was updated on
7/3/2008