In late March 06 the RBWM circulated a leaflet to local residents suggesting that the kerbside parking around Springfield Road, College Crescent and Elm Road
should become Residents Only Parking. This is an attempt in the main to offset the effect of the Borough's own parking changes introduced back in September
2002 whereby parking restrictions in the town centre forced staff in offices and shops to park further out of town, in the first available streets for which no
charges or time restrictions existed. A secondary cause of the parking problem is of course the lack of off-street parking in Elm Road and Springfield Road
itself.
Retailers have for some years been calling for increased parking facilities in the town centre (whilst at the same time filling up those available with their own staff) when the problem can be significantly reduced by providing an effective Park and Ride Scheme primarily aimed at those individuals who work in the town. A P & R Scheme has existed at Legoland for some time but is so poorly served by public transport into the town centre that few are prepared to use it. The website links to the bus companies operating the service are time consuming and unclear to any visitor thinking of using that service. In addition, the fare of £3 each way is exorbitant and the wait can be almost an hour for a ride into town, this because the buses suggested for the trip are actually long distance services, not dedicated to the job. Matters improve when Legoland is open - between late March and late October -because there is a Legoland Shuttle into Windsor, though its regularity is not easily ascertained form the web pages. How this can be of use to those working in Windsor full-time escapes me.
The Home Park also has a Park and Ride facility with buses into the town centre every 15 minutes between 07.00am and 07.00pm. The website appears to suggest that the ride into town is covered by the parking fee.
The simple solution is to progress with all speed the Park and Ride beside the railway line into the Central Station and introduce tourist parking at Windsor Racecourse, with attractive rides into town along the river or on a dedicated roadway along Stovell Road and Barry Avenue.
The plans for Resident Only parking around Springfield Road must therefore be rejected very firmly, especially by those just outside the area who will be the next to suffer from town centre parking overspill.
It is totally unacceptable for the Borough to suggest such a costly scheme. In order to obtain a permit to park adjacent to one's home a fee will be payable of £15. If you are a two car family, not uncommon or unreasonable these days, the extra parking permit will cost £30.00. (Total £45.00 pa) If you have friends or family coming to visit, they will require to display a voucher, costing £2.00 each. Only 50 such vouchers can be purchased in any one year. So if your daughter drops by twice a week, after six months they will not be allowed to park anywhere near your property! In fact it is not clear where they could actually park at all!!! The permits have a number of restrictions, not least that they are not transferable so if you buy a new car, it's another £15 - or £30 if it is your second car that you are replacing! Following all this? It goes without saying that having a permit for a car does not guarantee you a parking space!!!!! It also goes without saying that this is 'a nice little earner' for the borough.
Now let's take a look at policing the Residents Parking Scheme. Given that the police themselves have totally washed their hands of any responsibility for unlawful parking on double yellow lines anywhere in Windsor (except perhaps where soldiers march by), we are reliant on the local (RBWM) traffic wardens. If we are to have a residents' parking scheme imposed upon us, we shall need reassurance that staff will be made available to ensure that the scheme is adhered to at all times and that drivers are promptly fined if they ignore the regulations. One warden every six months will be pointless. (Actually impossible as they always go around in pairs!)
If the scheme does go ahead, I guarantee that we shall have more of the decidedly unfair situation whereby motorists parking on double yellow lines get away with it scot-free, while a motorist who infringes local parking area regulations, such as a parking ticket a few minutes past its expiry time, is heavily fined.
There are better solutions than those that line the borough's coffers!
Edited to try and rectify YUKU's appalling layout control! Sorry Colchesterman!
Retailers have for some years been calling for increased parking facilities in the town centre (whilst at the same time filling up those available with their own staff) when the problem can be significantly reduced by providing an effective Park and Ride Scheme primarily aimed at those individuals who work in the town. A P & R Scheme has existed at Legoland for some time but is so poorly served by public transport into the town centre that few are prepared to use it. The website links to the bus companies operating the service are time consuming and unclear to any visitor thinking of using that service. In addition, the fare of £3 each way is exorbitant and the wait can be almost an hour for a ride into town, this because the buses suggested for the trip are actually long distance services, not dedicated to the job. Matters improve when Legoland is open - between late March and late October -because there is a Legoland Shuttle into Windsor, though its regularity is not easily ascertained form the web pages. How this can be of use to those working in Windsor full-time escapes me.
The Home Park also has a Park and Ride facility with buses into the town centre every 15 minutes between 07.00am and 07.00pm. The website appears to suggest that the ride into town is covered by the parking fee.
The simple solution is to progress with all speed the Park and Ride beside the railway line into the Central Station and introduce tourist parking at Windsor Racecourse, with attractive rides into town along the river or on a dedicated roadway along Stovell Road and Barry Avenue.
The plans for Resident Only parking around Springfield Road must therefore be rejected very firmly, especially by those just outside the area who will be the next to suffer from town centre parking overspill.
It is totally unacceptable for the Borough to suggest such a costly scheme. In order to obtain a permit to park adjacent to one's home a fee will be payable of £15. If you are a two car family, not uncommon or unreasonable these days, the extra parking permit will cost £30.00. (Total £45.00 pa) If you have friends or family coming to visit, they will require to display a voucher, costing £2.00 each. Only 50 such vouchers can be purchased in any one year. So if your daughter drops by twice a week, after six months they will not be allowed to park anywhere near your property! In fact it is not clear where they could actually park at all!!! The permits have a number of restrictions, not least that they are not transferable so if you buy a new car, it's another £15 - or £30 if it is your second car that you are replacing! Following all this? It goes without saying that having a permit for a car does not guarantee you a parking space!!!!! It also goes without saying that this is 'a nice little earner' for the borough.
Now let's take a look at policing the Residents Parking Scheme. Given that the police themselves have totally washed their hands of any responsibility for unlawful parking on double yellow lines anywhere in Windsor (except perhaps where soldiers march by), we are reliant on the local (RBWM) traffic wardens. If we are to have a residents' parking scheme imposed upon us, we shall need reassurance that staff will be made available to ensure that the scheme is adhered to at all times and that drivers are promptly fined if they ignore the regulations. One warden every six months will be pointless. (Actually impossible as they always go around in pairs!)
If the scheme does go ahead, I guarantee that we shall have more of the decidedly unfair situation whereby motorists parking on double yellow lines get away with it scot-free, while a motorist who infringes local parking area regulations, such as a parking ticket a few minutes past its expiry time, is heavily fined.
There are better solutions than those that line the borough's coffers!
Edited to try and rectify YUKU's appalling layout control! Sorry Colchesterman!
