Bath divided on 'dangerous, messy, soulless rat-run' parking plan

A residents' parking zone in a Bath neighbourhood has been given the go-ahead - and locals are very much split on the topic.

Bath and North East Somerset Council (BANES) has given a resident parking zone (RPZ) proposal the green light in the Bear Flat area and Alexandra Park.

From the end of April, there will be permit holder only bays, limited time parking and no parking at any time along parts of Wellsway, Longfellow Avenue, Chaucer Road, Milton Avenue, Kipling Avenue, Shakespeare Avenue and Bruton Avenue, among others.

This will run from Monday to Saturday between 8am and 6pm.

The Bear Flat residents' parking zone has caused a great deal of debate (Image: Artur Lesniak/Reach)

After feedback from people in other areas of Bath, who say this will lead to pushing parking problems towards their homes now that this has been approved, BANES made some amendments.

The changes to the RPZ proposal include:

Single yellow lines will be introduced across all driveway and garage entrances within the zone, rather than double yellow lines.
Funding will be identified in a future Transport Improvement Programme to enable appropriate parking surveys to be carried out in the Oldfield Park ward.

Proposed parking restrictions in Alexandra Park:

The charging hours will be reduced from 9am – 4pm to 9am – 3pm. With the first hour being free, this would mean that users of the bowls club or allotment holders could park their vehicles from 2pm, and then park for free for the rest of the day. Afternoon bowls matches would then be unaffected by the proposed parking restrictions, but the long-stay parking issues would be still addressed.
The first parking bay to the north of the main entrance (before the toilet block) will be removed (total of 3 cars length) to prevent obstruction of the wildflower bed. These 3 parking spaces would be relocated to the other side of the park, with the proposed parking bay on the south east corner being extended by 3 car lengths.
The parking bay to the east of the viewpoint will be reduced by a length of 2 metres to allow for the placement of the recycling bins.
Signs will be installed to remind drivers to share the space with pedestrians.
While the first hour in the park is free, motorists will need to ensure they activate a digital stay with MiPermit for this hour.

Below is the original proposal before the above changes were made.

The proposal in full

18-026/1 - (VARIOUS ROADS, SOUTH EAST OUTER AREA, BATH) (PROHIBITION AND RESTRICTION OF

PARKING AND LOADING) (NO STOPPING ON ENTRANCE MARKINGS)

(AUTHORISED AND DESIGNATED PARKING PLACES) (VARIATION NO.22)

ORDER 201*

NOTICE is given that the Bath and North East Somerset Council proposes to make an order under provisions contained in the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, the effect of which will introduce the following variations to restrictions in Alexandra Park in the South East Outer Area Bath:-

1) Introduce No Parking At Any Time in lengths of Alexandra Park.

2) Introduce 4 Hour Max Limited Waiting bays, operating Monday to Saturday, 9am – 4pm in lengths of Alexandra Park.

3) Introduce a Vendors Only Parking Bay.

4) Introduce a Maintenance Vehicles Parking Only Bay.

18-026/2 - (VARIOUS ROADS, SOUTH EAST OUTER AREA, BATH) (PROHIBITION AND RESTRICTION OF

PARKING AND LOADING) (NO STOPPING ON ENTRANCE MARKINGS)

(AUTHORISED AND DESIGNATED PARKING PLACES) (VARIATION NO. 23)

ORDER 201*

1) Introduce No Parking At Any Time in lengths of Devonshire Buildings, Longfellow Avenue, Milton Avenue, Chaucer Road, Kipling Avenue, Shakespeare Avenue, Beechen Cliff Road, Bruton Avenue, and Wellsway.

2) Introduce Permit Holder Only bays, operating Monday to Saturday between 8am – 6pm in lengths of Devonshire Buildings, Devonshire Place, Old Wells Road, Wellsway, Longfellow Avenue, Chaucer Road, Milton Avenue, Kipling Avenue, Shakespeare Avenue, Bruton Avenue, Shelly Road, Byron Road, and Beechen Cliff Road.

3) Introduce Dual Use 2 Hour Limited Waiting and Permit Holder bays, operating Monday to Saturday, 8am – 6pm in lengths of Devonshire Buildings, Chaucer Road, Longfellow Avenue, Milton Avenue, Kipling Avenue, Shakespeare Avenue, and Bruton Avenue.

4) Introduce Dual Use 3 Hour Limited Waiting and Permit Holder bays, operating Monday to Saturday, 8am – 6pm in lengths of Shakespeare Avenue.

18-026/3 - (VARIOUS ROADS, SOUTH WEST OUTER AREA, BATH) (PROHIBITION AND RESTRICTION OF

PARKING AND LOADING) (NO STOPPING ON ENTRANCE MARKINGS)

(AUTHORISED AND DESIGNATED PARKING PLACES) (VARIATION NO. 23)

ORDER 201*

1) Introduce No Parking At Any Time in lengths of Bruton Avenue, Wellsway, Bloomfield Avenue, Maple Gardens and Maple Grove.

2) Introduce Permit Holder Only bays, operating Monday to Saturday between 8am – 6pm in lengths of Hayesfield Park, Bloomfield Avenue, Maple Gardens, and Maple Grove.

3) Introduce Dual Use 2 Hour Limited Waiting and Permit Holder bays, operating Monday to Saturday, 8am – 6pm in lengths of Bruton Avenue and Bloomfield Avenue

What people had to say about the RPZ:

Some believe this is a good thing but for others, not so much.

People took to the Bath Live Facebook page and the Somerset Live website to have their say.

One contributor wrote that this was bad news for Oldfield Park, which is going to be 'stuffed'.

They said the situation was bad enough for locals not being able to park by their homes and that the council should roll out resident parking zones throughout residential areas across Bath.

Jeremy Trenchard has been part of this project for several years to bring a residents' parking scheme to Bear Flat in Bath (Image: Artur Lesniak/Reach)

Another echoed that sentiment, saying this should be rolled out over the whole of Bath.

One poster put forward the idea of having a scheme that limited the number of vehicles per household.

A commenter said that this was just talking your way into having to forfeit car ownership in the long-term. They said having to pay to park outside your house, in a car park, to drive into the city, being fined for overstaying and so on was not ideal.

They added that this will restrict friends and family visiting you by car, let alone them wanting to stay over several times a year when your visitor permits have run out.

One found this amusing, saying they could not believe people are complaining that you cannot pay to park outside your own house.

These residents on the outskirts of Bath believe the residents' parking zone will make matters worse for others in and around the city (Image: Richard Mills)

Another said there is not enough space in Oldfield Park due to university students and commuters.

They were fed up of not being able to park within a third of a mile from their house, many streets away.

One person was very happy that this had been approved and that it was brilliant for locals.

Although many more commented, this last reader gave off a very dejected take on this.

As a long-time Oldfield Park resident, they said they had seen the place transform from a quiet, clean and friendly area to an overfilled, dangerous, messy and soulless rat-run.