Earlier this month, I sent out a survey to over 3,500 of my constituents in Abington asking them whether they would support a parking permit scheme in parts of the area, with a view to hopefully alleviating the pressure on parking spaces.
For some time now many residents in Abington have had trouble finding a parking space. Indeed many of my constituents have written to me about this subject, with some people suggesting that a parking permit scheme may improve the situation.
I am personally neutral on the issue- but I took the decision to act and began talks with Northamptonshire County Council’s Highways Department. NCC agreed that if the results of this survey demonstrate strong public support for the scheme then they would undertake to formally consult Abington residents about implementing the scheme. Similarly, if the survey shows that a majority do not wish to be part of a parking scheme, then I will not pursue the matter further.
A parking permit scheme would mean that vehicles could only be parked and left in the parking permit zone if the individual responsible for the vehicle has purchased parking permit. To ensure that Abington residents are fully informed about the process and what it would entail before they responded to the survey, I enclosed an information leaflet created by Northamptonshire Highways in the letter with the survey form itself. This leaflet clearly outlined how the scheme would work, and how it may help improve the parking situation, and whilst of course it does not guarantee that people will always be able to park their vehicles outside their house, it is hoped that it would reduce the high levels of parking by non-residents, leaving more spaces for those who actually live in the area.
The surveys were posted to the individual whose name appears first on the Electoral Register for each household. If there are multiple vehicle owners in one household wishing to participate in this survey then they can do so simply by either photocopying the survey or by writing to me to request more copies. Residents can also add any comments that they have on the form.
As I have pointed out above, I am impartial on the issue – I am simply canvassing the views of my constituents as I have done in other parts of Northampton North over the years. I welcome every response and would please ask residents wishing to participate in the survey to send their response back to me via Freepost by 15th January 2017.