Parking Permits In Parts Of Rochford ?

May

6

9 comments

From the Rochford Life website:

Democratic Power or Local Indifference

We have in the past observed and recorded some of the local struggles with planning in respect of housing, noting the local efforts to thwart the ongoing juggernaut of ?progress?, and just recently (end of April 2014) we have heard of another similar ?public concern? issue in the town, but this time in respect of parking.
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In 2013 the County Council carried out an ?informal consultation? of residents living on the Stambridge side of Rochford in Stambridge Road, Weir Pond Road, East Street, Rocheway & Mornington Avenue. We are told that the cause of the consultation was concerns by 5 local residents about a lot of ?commuter parking?.
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As a result of that consultation the Council have proposed a change to parking so that if the proposals are adopted ? and the end of the present formal consultation period is the 7th May ? the following will at some point in the future become operative:
1. To park on your road at ANY time you will need a permit costing you ?50 pa. (Maximum of 2 per household).
2. If you have friends or family visiting, at ANY time, you will need to have 4 hour parking permits for each car, sold in books of 10 for ?5.

The proposals are available on: www.chelmsford.gov.uk/proposed-traffic-regulation-orders and are downloaded by clicking on the Rochford Order.

Local campaigners point out that out of 207 households consulted, only 49 voted yes to permit parking i.e. 24% and, further, that:
55 houses were consulted in Mornington Avenue and only 24 responded.
26 houses were consulted in Rocheway and only 16 responded
126 houses were consulted in Stambridge Road and only 46 responded…..

….. As the closing date for the present consultation is 8th May, local residents have only a short time now in which to take action by….

Full article here.

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  • Before we set off a posse to hunt down the council, just look at the response figures, if people were that bothered they would respond to the consultation letter. Apathy rules….they get what they deserve.

  • Oz, harsh but possibly fair. However if the majority who did respond were against the introduction of permits then surely that should rule. After all we had elections for Police Commissioners, or whatever they are called, with about a 15% turn out and the result stood. We have around 60%/65% turn out for General Elections and no-one goes in the opposite direction to the majority because around 40$ of the voting population don’t express an opinion one way or the other.

  • You are of course both right , an example :-
    The RAG thing raised public awareness and 98% of residents in Hullbridge were against their 500 ( Core Plan houses ) and 93% of the 5000 polled in Rayleigh were
    against the 800 ( Core Plan houses ) in West Rayleigh/ Rawreth = ignored.

    Is it any wonder the public at large are apathetic – which in turn is why UKIP are on
    the march , they are tapping into the “voice of the people” sub- conscious.

  • A recent poll suggests that under 50% of those eligible to vote for the first time at the next General Election will bother to do so. Many said they felt that using their vote would make no difference, others felt disengaged from the whole political system.
    Something has gone very wrong somewhere when students don’t want to or feel there is no point in becoming engaged in the political process.

  • Christine I think you are right.

    I think it is partly that leading politicians are currently not a very inspiring bunch. (Though maybe the charismatic ones tend to let you down the most in the end)

    Partly that the outlook for young people, though better than in many countries , isn’t that wonderful (I am thinking in particular of high house prices)

    And partly that politics is mostly about negative stuff these days.

    As an aside, that last point applies to local politics as well, I’d really like to write more positive items on onlinefocus as well as covering the issues we do cover.

  • I agree, most of them are looking at leaving Uni with massive debts and no real prospect of a good job. Back to living with Mum and Dad and being forced into a zero hours contract or loose their benefits. Not much to look forward to really.

    I don’t mind uninspiring politicians if they are effective, we seem to have the worst of all possible worlds at the moment, uninspiring and ineffective, as well as about as out of touch with the realities of life as any government I can ever recall, and yes, negative. I can’t see things changing much either, not unless dear old Nigel really does shake things up, which is looking increasingly likely.

  • Chris , I’m sure that personalities is an aspect but it is the lack of engagement ( almost a – we know best ) that alienates politicians , for example the Town Council did’nt want to talk to me about the ‘hot topic’ ( Allocations ) , RDC will not hold a public meeting on the subject and despite reasoned pleas from the Chamber they pushed
    through the Parking Charges plans ( via the Whip ) and so on.
    And it is’nt just me and RDC, every night in the Echo the public letters keep saying the same on all sorts of issues , you personally are successful because you go out of your way to engage – a lesson for them all I think…….JIM.

  • I have now been a Town Council member for 10 years and have never been elected. No person has contested the ward. Would like to think I would win anyway if it came to a vote but you can never be certain.

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