Consultation on Central Milton Keynes Parking to Go Ahead

11.41.32pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 25th Jul 2007

Residents are to be asked for their views on proposals to amend some aspects of the current parking provision in Central Milton Keynes. A number of changes are being proposed, aimed at better meeting the many diverse needs of those wishing to park in Milton Keynes city centre.

Liberal Democrat councillor Chris Williams, cabinet member for transport, said: "Over the past year I have received many e-mails and letters from members of the public about parking in the city centre. Having taken these on board, we're doing whatever possible to change the current provision to reflect their comments, hence this consultation."

The 7-week consultation period will start at the beginning of August 2007. The key proposals for the consultation are:

• Station Square: Due to the need for additional short pick-up and drop-off bays in front of the railway station, it is proposed to increase the number of 15-minute drop off bays by removing all the long-stay pay-and-display from Station Square and replacing them with limited waiting bays. The long-stay bays will be relocated to the standard-rate pay-and-display area at the rear of the Silverlink multi-storey car park.

• Sunday morning restrictions: As some motorists leave their vehicles in the city centre following a night out, it is proposed to amend the Sunday morning restriction times in all pay and display parking bays throughout Central Milton Keynes to start from 10.30 am. This will allow people enough time to return to collect their vehicles before the restriction applies.

• Free weekend parking: Drivers have reported confusion as to which areas are free and which areas remain pay-and-display at weekends. It is therefore proposed that blocks C1(between North Row and Silbury Boulevard) and C4 (between South Row and Avebury Boulevard) will be all free at weekends and that blocks C2 and C3 will become pay-and-display seven days a week.

• Disabled bays at Civic Offices: Due to the low occupancy levels of the disabled parking bays fronting the Civic Offices, it is proposed to remove 4 bays and relocate them on North Second Street and South Eighth Street, where there is a higher demand. The disabled bays fronting the Civic Offices will be replaced with premium-rate pay-and-display bays.

• Residents' Parking: It is also proposed to include additional residents-permit parking in South Eighth Street and on the public highway between South Ninth and South Tenth Street.

• North Sixth Street: Due to closure of the Health Centre in North Sixth Street, it is proposed to replace the premium-rate pay-and-display bays with standard-rate bays.

• Midsummer Boulevard: Recent development on Midsummer Boulevard has resulted in changes to the parking area outside Jurys Inn. It is proposed to introduce 4 disabled parking bays and a 15-minute drop off zone in this area.

• Types of parking permits: Central Milton Keynes currently has 13 different types of permit.It is proposed to reduce these to 10 by removing specific permits and replacing them with a shared-use scheme.

• Parking in North Row adjacent to the Police Station: It is proposed to change the residents-permit parking in North Row adjacent to the Police Station to allow shared 30-minute limited-waiting parking. Occupancy data shows that the residents' bays are vacant during week days and short-stay visitors to the Police Station are finding it increasingly difficult to park.

The implementation of these proposals, if supported by the public consultation, will take in October 07. For further details please contact Paul Harrison on 01908 254604