Parking will be restricted to residents with permits during certain times
What you need to know about plans to limit parking in Cambridge area
- A new residential parking scheme is planned for the York Street area of Cambridge to address concerns about parking. The goal is to prevent people from using the street for free all-day parking, thereby securing spaces for residents.
- The restrictions will limit parking to permit holders only between 9am and 5pm, Monday through Saturday. This schedule aligns the operational hours with restrictions already in place in the Petersfield area.
- Supporters of the scheme, including locals, say the current parking situation has been “intolerably bad for decades”. They report that commuters fill all available parking spaces early each morning, leaving residents unable to park near their homes.
- A major safety concern that influenced the council’s vote was the inability of fire engines to navigate certain streets due to parked cars. Councillor Richard Howitt emphasised the council’s responsibility to approve the scheme and prevent a potential tragedy from blocked emergency access.
- The council made several ‘mitigations’ to the original plan after a previous delay, including removing proposed double yellow lines on Fairsford Place. Officers took time to address resident feedback and reduce the scheme’s operating hours before bringing it back for a vote.
- Some residents opposed the scheme, arguing the city is trying to “solve a problem that does not exist” during the day. They claimed the true parking problem occurs at night, which the proposed daytime restrictions will not address.
- Residents living in flats in the area raised specific concerns because they appeared to be excluded from the scheme’s boundary. Council officers admitted this exclusion was intentional, fearing that including all flats would “overwhelm” the scheme, especially since many were sold without parking.
- Councillors ultimately voted to introduce the new parking restrictions despite the remaining opposition. They agreed to review the scheme after six months to consider “further mitigation measures”, such as adding access protection marks to help residents avoid blocked garages.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE: New restrictions planned to stop ‘workers and shoppers’ parking in city street for free
