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PLANS for a new permit parking zone in York have been scrapped, after residents voted overwhelmingly against the idea.

City of York Council was considering introducing a ResPark scheme in streets around Heslington Road, following a request from residents several years ago.

But council officers have now abandoned the proposal, which would have slashed the number of parking spaces available.

Only 12 per cent of people who took part in a local ballot supported the scheme.

Council traffic engineer Philip Irwin said: "The roads in some streets are too narrow to accommodate regulated parking on both sides. Hence a residents parking scheme would provide significantly fewer parking spaces than the present arrangements.

"The overall response rate from the consultation in the Heslington Road area was 44 per cent, of which 88 per cent are not in favour of residents parking for the area. Even though the response rate is not 50 per cent, the level of support is quite clearly not high enough to proceed with the introduction of residents parking."

Streets involved include Wellington Street, Willis Street, Gordon Street, Wolsley Street, Heslington Road, Fitzroy Terrace, Apollo Street, Apollo Court, Alne Terrace, Belle Vue Street and Belle Vue Terrace.

Local councillor Andy D'Agorne said today: "We said as soon as we saw the proposal that it would not be supported by residents.

"What was disappointing was that there was no consultation with councillors before residents were balloted. Basically, it's a waste of council money, this whole exercise."

He said householders were plagued by non-residents parking in their streets, and said the redevelopment of the Barbican Centre, coupled with the expansion of the University of York, would make things worse.

But a ResPark scheme would have meant parking was only allowed on one side of several narrow streets, and even the resident who first requested the scheme back in 2003 was now opposed to it.

Coun D'Agorne said: "It's going to get worse, but the proposal to remove a large part of the parking was obviously not going to have support." He said money had been earmarked in the Barbican redevelopment for the ResPark scheme, and he would explore any alternative ways of spending that money to ease the parking problems.

Coun Dave Taylor said: "It was inevitable. If only officers had asked Andy D'Agorne and myself we could have told them that 80 per cent or more would vote against it. They have wasted a lot of money."

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Do ResPark schemes work?

12:59pm Wednesday 26th March 2008

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