A proposal by Cumberland Council to introduce a section of disc parking on High Hill met with no objections from Keswick town councillors but local residents are not so happy.
The disc parking will operate between 8am and 6pm seven days a week and resident exemption will be offered to those who live immediately adjacent to it.
The proposals will replace the existing time-limited parking, which Cumberland Council says is difficult to enforce as arrival times do not have to be displayed on a disc. Councillors learnt that the new proposals would bring this section of parking into line with other locations in Keswick.
But local resident Melissa Melo has expressed her anger in a letter to Cumberland Council specifically the extension of the time limit from one hour to two hours between the hours of 8am and 6pm as well as the “astonishing suggestion” of no parking restrictions between 6pm and 8am.
She described the proposed extension of the time limit to two hours as being “entirely objectionable”.
“This alteration would not only allow vehicles to occupy parking spaces for double the duration, exacerbating the scarcity of available spaces, but it would also attract more non-residents to park in the area for extended periods,” she said. “This change disregards the already challenging parking situation faced by residents, and it is simply unacceptable to grant non-residents the ability to occupy spaces for twice the current duration during peak hours.”
And she said the “ill-conceived” proposal of lifting parking restrictions between 6pm and 8am would result in a flood of non-residents occupying all available parking spaces starting from 4pm.
“It is unacceptable that, regardless of the time we return home after 4pm, residents would be left without parking spaces outside their own homes,” she said. “This move demonstrates a complete lack of consideration for the daily inconveniences and frustrations experienced by the residents of High Hill.
“Moreover, the existing issue of overnight illegal parking is already a prevalent concern. The fact that drivers remain undeterred by the current one-hour time limit, knowing that enforcement officers are absent during late evenings, overnight hours, and early mornings, is alarming.
“The examples of a large lorry with a crane and a van owned by a cycling team illegally parked outside my residence, impeding my ability to park, are just two instances among countless incidents of such flagrant disregard for parking regulations.
“As residents, we are left with no alternative but to rely on the parking lay-by, as driveways and garages are non-existent. Moreover, the surrounding area is predominantly marked by double yellow lines. Given these circumstances, it is imperative that you reconsider implementing a residents-only parking policy to ensure an adequate number of spaces for those who call High Hill home. The current proposal not only fails to address the existing challenges but also exacerbates an already dire situation.
Meanwhile, there were also no objections to the introduction of loading bay restrictions outside the newly-constructed Premier Inn.
The parking restrictions will formalise the loading bay which was constructed as part of the development and a condition of the planning approval. The traffic regulation order will permit loading and unloading of goods vehicles only and operate 24 hours a day.
Cllr Sally Lansbury said that if more disc parking was to be introduced in Keswick it would be nice if people had easier access to the discs “because it’s an absolute nightmare at the moment”.
Cllr Jean Murray explained that there was a lack of discs because the current ones have Cumbria County Council on them and the new Cumberland Council is spending hundreds of thousands of pounds “re-signing” everything in its name.
“All people have to do is put a piece of paper on their dashboard with the time and date they have parked or use a disc from any other area,” said Cllr Murray.
