Town councillors are to reply individually to the back streets parking consultation as they agreed that as a council they would not reach a consensus over the controversial issue.
Residents, business owners and visitors have been invited by Cumbria County Council to have their say on proposals designed to improve on-street parking and traffic movement in an area known locally as the back streets.
The proposed scheme was identified as the recommended solution to on-street parking issues in the Keswick Transport Study, following investigations, assessments and engagement with residents, businesses and other stakeholders.
Under the scheme, residents and businesses would have to have council permits to park. For residents, there would be a maximum of two permits per property with vehicles having to be officially registered to the address.
For guest houses and B&Bs there would be two annual permits for each business with an unlimited number of uses per year. Visitors will be allowed one annual permit for each property on application.
Also proposed are a swathe of new double yellow lines primarily designed to cut parking at busy junctions and prevent obstruction.
Cllr Steve Harwood said it was “a really complicated issue” and did not think it was possible for the council to have a consensus on it.
“I think we should all write individually about the proposals,” he said.
“We each have different ideas on this and we should send them to Cumbria County Council because we are not going to have a consensus on this.”
He was backed by Cllr Paul Titley who said: “I don’t think as a group we should say what we think but individually we should certainly make a statement.”
He added that people were going to have to learn to walk a bit further than they do at present.
“I live on the edge of the zone and people who cannot park in the zone will be parking in front of my house. People who don’t live in the zone are going to find the overspill coming their way.
“We are in a situation that residents are being asked to choose the least worst option.
“The headlines across all these surveys should be: Be careful what you wish for because once it’s done it’s done.
“There has been a remarkable lack of imagination from Cumbria County Council about the options.”
Cllr Allan Daniels said that when you currently walk in the back streets you “take your life in your hands”.
“The way people park is not just inconsiderate but it’s insane,” he said and put forward a formal motion that councillors respond individually to the consultation.
It was agreed the council’s clerk send out the consultation link to all councillors for them to complete.
The only resident in attendance was Graham Burn, who has run the Harvington House guest house in Keswick with his wife for 28 years.
He said he also had another job as a lorry driver working shifts and said he had always struggled to park in the “back streets” but had always managed to find a spot close to his home.
He said 170 parking spaces would be lost if the proposed scheme was implemented.
