Residents in several parking zones are asked to comment
A parking consultation is underway to try and find a solution to the increased pressure on parking spaces in local streets since the opening of Westfield last October.
The worst affected zones, G and CC, have already seen the introduction of interim measures to try and ease the situation - measures which many residents have been unhappy with.
Changes in zones G and CC have seen the current Saturday controls brought in on Sundays, to try and prevent Westfield shoppers using nearby streets as a free weekend car park. However, the interim parking restrictions have only applied to limited periods of the day and have made it expensive for residents' visitors to park.
Now the Council say they want to find a more permanent solution, not just in the streets closest to Westfield but in those slightly further afield too.
"The Sunday controls were implemented in the streets colsest to Westfield only but we are aware the problems are occurring more widely as well. For this reason, we are carrying out this initial consultaiton with all residents and businesses of controlled parking zones B, C, CC, G, J, K, O and some streets of N," the consultation leaflet says.
Some residents' groups, who have been demanding 'residents' only' parking, say they will be coordinating their responses.
But the Council say this is only an "initial consultation" which will then be followed by a more "targeted" one.
"At this stage, we are not suggesting any specific changes to parking in the area. We are simply trying to find out exactly what the problems are and where they are occurring. We can then address the issue as a whole, to avoid simply shifting the problem from one street to another."
The Council say they would still like those who have already contacted them about this issue to fill in the consultaiton form.
They say that once the results of the consultaiton have been analysed, they will write to residents again explaining if further changes are proposed and giving residents the opportunity to comment further before any changes are made.
The consultaiton runs until Monday 16 February and can be filled in online here.
23 January 2009