Ventnor resident Gillian Jenner has mounted a campaign to reinstate the residents’ car parking permit all over the Isle of Wight and is asking people to tell her how its withdrawal by the IOW council has affected them and the availability of all parking in their streets. Ed
Earlier this year, the County Council abolished the £75 permit, which allowed residents to use a nominated long-stay car park as permanent parking for their vehicles, as part of a raft of cost-cutting measures to shore up its budget deficit.
It subsequently revamped the business permit as a “long-stay” permit priced at a hefty £500 per annum.
Still awaiting review results
Following protests from Islanders, the IOW Council promised to review the residents’ permit issue, but two months down the line I for one am still waiting to hear whether a new scheme will be forthcoming.
The problem we have in Ventnor (and it may be duplicated on other parts of the Island) is that many people live in the town centre on roads with parking restrictions and with no possibility off-road parking. Away from the centre, the town’s narrow roads and steep hills also often preclude both on- and off-street parking.
Many people simply have no alternative to the council car parks for permanent parking and few can afford to stump up £500 per year. As their residents’ permits expire they will be forced to leave their cars in streets with no restrictions, adding to the congestion in those roads.
Response from council imminent
I have been doggedly writing to IOW Transport supremo Edward Giles to press him for action. In his latest reply he says: “I expect to have some information from Council officers during the course of the next week that I hope will enable us to formulate a view as to what, if any, action we are able to take towards introducing some further permits.”
He adds: “However we do need information as to the effect of any new permits on the budget for the current financial year as well as the changes that may have come about in driver behaviour over parking since 1st April.”
Please get in touch
I am keen to keep the pressure on the IOW Council and feel any evidence about how the withdrawal of the resident’s parking permit has affected people in Ventnor would help. You can contact me via email: parking [at] ginjer [dot] co [dot] uk
Image: Dominic’s pics under CC BY 2.0
