Major change to parking enforcement in part of Cambridge due to unclear signs

Permits that have been bought will be refunded by the council

Parking enforcement in part of Cambridge has been partially scaled back due to unclear signs. Cambridgeshire County Council said on-street checks have identified issues with “the clarity and placement” of some signs relating to the Milton Road Resident Parking Scheme.

It means that drivers have been left confused over which parking restrictions apply and where. The scheme’s original design had aimed to reduce the number of signs, particularly along longer stretches of road with multiple marked bays. But the authority said that a marked bay without any required upright signage could be interpreted by drivers as unrestricted parking. On‑street checks have confirmed that this approach has led to a lack of clarity in some areas, they added.

The parking scheme applies to around 27 roads in the Milton area of Cambridge. It involves people purchasing permits that cost between £35 and £105 per year in order to park in that part of the city.

A notice on Cambridgeshire County Council’s website said: “The County Council is carrying out a detailed ground survey to identify where additional signage is required and where changes to existing signage are needed to improve clarity and legal compliance. This may include installing new signs, as well as moving, replacing, removing or updating existing signs to ensure correct spacing and that the correct restrictions are clearly displayed. This work will ensure the scheme is clear, consistent and fully enforceable. At this stage, the Council is not able to provide a definitive timeline for completion.

“While this work is being completed, the scheme cannot be fully enforced in all areas. During this period, enforcement will be limited to double yellow lines and single yellow lines during their signed hours of operation.”

The review and signage improvement works are expected to take ‘several months’, the council added. All Milton Road parking permits already purchased, including resident, temporary resident, tradesperson and visitor permits, will be refunded. Any new permit applications received before the work is completed will not be processed.

Milton Road Permits (visitor, resident or tradesperson) bought on or after February 2, 2026 will be refunded fully by the end of April. Resident permits bought before this date (for the previous Ascham scheme) will be refunded pro-rata from when the scheme merged on February 2.

Once the scheme meets all legal requirements, residents will be invited to apply for permits again. The six‑month post‑implementation review of the scheme will begin once it is fully operational.