You have your say on the parking debate

To have your views included, please send to Ian Locks at

i.locks@btinternet.com

Sam Marcus

As a resident of Staples Road and a mother of pupils at Staples Road Primary I feel making our road permit parking would just cause more chaos.  I feel myself and all my neighbours are very accommodating to each other when parking or leaving our spaces to allow our fellow residents to take the space without any fuss.  If a neighbour is having building work then we simply allow them to put their bins out for the workman’s van.  Yes the school periods 8.30-9am and 3-3.30pm can be stressful for some but as the head Mrs Wallace stipulates on the parent mail it’s a catchment school therefore all parents could walk their children to school, obviously excluding those working parents that need to catch a train etc.  We have to be understanding their is no school parking facilities, we have to be understanding to Fifteen Wine Bar that they also have a right to make their business work.  It’s a Lets not forget its a beautiful road, not a practical road which I think will only attract flexible residents. (do I only speak for myself?)

Diane Rhodes

I was very disappointed to read the notes  of the recent meeting with NEPP which say that a permit scheme would make no difference to our parking situation.

It seems to me that different people have differing views as to who is parking in their road and I am wondering if it might be useful for a survey to be carried out to ascertain the facts about parking in our area.   Then perhaps we could all be informed as to which groups of people are parking in which roads then we could see what options we might have of dealing with the parking.   Shouldn’t we quantify the problem first?

County Councillor Chris Pond

I have had only brief talks with NEPP over this, but I have stressed that signs should be kept to an absolute minimum in the CA and have been assured they will be. The only major signs would be at the 3 entrances to the zone (Zizzi, 1 Kings Green, and foot of Pump Hill), and no signs should be attached to CA lampposts.

Ali Trauttmansdorff

I agree there is not enough info to make an informed decision. For now we are against and certainly wouldn’t like the idea of guests and workmen having to pay to visit. We also think the introduction of the scheme would have a negative visual impact on the area. We think the problems however are specific that need addressing and do not require resident parking. Double yellow lines are needed where the road is just too narrow to park ie around the cottages and the Rose Cottage, marked out bays on Kings Green to regulate how people park and stronger restrictions at the Fifteen pub, stopping people parking on the pavement or restricting access as a number of examples. Resident parking here would just push the issue elsewhere.

Guy Harvey

As a resident who has no off street parking facility, why would i want to pay over £100 to park my cars every year and impede all friends and family visiting me. And then have the added bonus of having Traffic wardens buzzing round the place. Waiting for a ticket to expire by a minute then slapping on a £60 fine.  When at the moment I don’t have to?

Do I want the Hills to become just like another London Suburb? Do I want Residents to start demolishing their front gardens and turning them into Drives? Do I want the Gardner’s Arms to suffer like the 12 pubs closing their doors every week in the UK, and that turn into residential places? Do I want local Businesses here to suffer? Is it worth risking a minor inconvenience ( Parking) with a major one ( Traffic enforcement officers)? Do I want a friend who pops in for two minutes to start worrying about their car outside?

Yes, there  are too many cars, but they tend to be those that are owned by local residents.

Staples Rd houses tend to be narrow, and probably not as wide as 2 cars, so it is plain to understand that road will always be full.

Yes, the ’15’ Bar ( Wheatsheaf ) causes a huge bottle neck at times. But I have only waited a minute at the most until I can get through. Does not justify me wanting to pay £100. Why not just have double yellow lines on just one side of the road opposite?  I read that if we don’t agree to this, then we will lose the chance of it happening again… What Rot!  Parking is a hugely profitable business for the Council and the parking company. If parking gets worse they will come round like a shot to put up meters. Feeding off peoples misery!

So as you guess – I don’t want any parking restrictions!

Tony Scott, York Hill

I agree with (the Hills Committee) comments that we don’t have sufficient information concerning the full NEPP proposals and there hasn’t been a proper consultation process. I believe the vast majority of cars in the area belong to residents and many have more than one car. Teachers, visitors,tradesmen and a few shoppers make up most of the rest. In general I think it’s a minority of residents that have real parking issues.

My main concerns are: Residents will actually lose parking spaces due to additional yellow lining and pay and display parking zones; our country lanes will resemble town roads;  Staples Road School teachers will still be able to park near the school so no additional spaces will be gained from them; parents dropping off and picking up school children cause inconvenience for only a short period during the day, and parents who wait in their cars are not actually considered to be ‘parked’. Many of the parking problems concerning Club 15 (the old Wheatsheaf pub) are caused by inconsiderate mini cab drivers and this will not be resolved by parking restrictions; a double yellow line outside the pub might resolve some parking problems caused by inconsiderate clients;  residents’ visitors will additionally be inconvenienced in busy areas as they will have to make three journeys back and forth to display a visitor’s permit in their car; the parking permits are expensive and one only has to read in the local press about parking zone residents in Epping complaining about massive increases in permit prices over the years and other associated problems.

We live in an ever expanding community and a seemingly ever increasing lack of tolerance in our society. Over regulation is rife which is not always necessary. We must be careful what we wish for as there will probably be little chance of reversing the policy if implemented.

Perry Oldike

Where does one start?  I am seething.  The meddling busy bodies are nearlyon my doorstep encroaching on my way of life.  The reason I moved to the plateau of Pump/York Hill is escape.  Escape from the city where I work which is brimming with cameras and security so save us from ourselves.  I enjoy the regressive nature of the Hills. I am unashamedly a luddite and do not welcome this kind of change.

I do not want verminous sneaky traffic wardens hovering around York Green. I do not want a pole with a 360 degree remote camera issuing tickets from a room in Essex and worse. I do not want my life irritated any more than it is by these sorts of actions.  I have been happily living at the crest of  Pump Hill for 13 years and parking whilst admittedly trying at times is fine with me.   I chose to live next to a pub so I was fully aware what I was getting myself into.  How on earth can you have a pay and display outside the Gardeners?  It is a RESIDENTIAL area.  Likewise the pub 15 at the bottom of York Hill will not be affected by these parking enforcement proposals unless it is up to 2200hrs or suchlike.   It will remain clogged around there and there is not a lot as far as I’m concerned that can be done about it.  Take away their licence and close it down is the only solution

Parking in the High Street was fine until it was revised,developed and spaces were removed. Likewise Debden Broadway was ruined by imbeciles.  What goes through these people’s minds?  More and more cars on the road so we’ll remove spaces!

I suspect this sort of thing will grow like a cancer under the LRA so keep your eyes peeled in the next couple weeks or so.  There will be a for sale board outside my cottage and the Nazis who propose this vile scheme can pat each other on their backs for infinity.  It will not be my problem.  If I wanted this kind of oppressive drivel I’d have moved to Islington or Harringey.

Footnote.

If the authorities want to do something constructive in Loughton/Debden how about getting rid of the traffic lights at the M11 junction and replacing the whole lot with a simple roundabout.  I have spent days of my life sitting there for no reason.

Dr Donald Pohl of Queens Road quoted in The Loughton Guardian

Is quoted in the Loughton Guardian as criticising the NEPP for the consultative process which he says is confusing and not comprehensive enough. He said: “There is considerable confusion amongst residents of Queens Road about the questionnaire.

“It is not clear whether it is merely a consultative document or the results constitute a final and decisive vote which will enable the NEPP to take action. We were not required to give our names or addresses. How will the organisers be able to establish whether respondees have the right to vote?

“Since there are no registration numbers on the forms how can they ensure that photocopies are not made enabling respondees to make multiple votes. I have not spoken to a single neighbour in support of a permit system, people have made space in their front gardens for parking.”