Since 2006, Violet Road has been governed by a Residents’ Parking Scheme (RPS), operational from Monday to Saturday, 8 am to 6 pm.
Nottinghamshire County Council has produced a report and decision based on objections to a proposed change of a space on the residents’ parking permit scheme.
This scheme was initially implemented to regulate the anticipated volume of parking by visitors to the then newly built Marks and Spencer store, addressing concerns of excessive ‘shopper and commuter’ parking.
In May 2022, Rushcliffe Borough Council approved a planning application for a new vehicle access point from Violet Road to the rear of 170 Radcliffe Road.
This development requires the removal of a resident-only parking bay on the north side of Violet Road, close to the Abbey Road junction, replacing it with a single yellow line. This alteration would result in the loss of approximately fifteen meters of parking space, equivalent to two large cars.
In light of these changes, Oxalis Planning conducted comprehensive parking surveys in November 2021 on behalf of Nottinghamshire County Council. Â These surveys carried out at various times and days, aimed to assess the impact of the proposed changes on parking availability. The findings revealed a consistently high number of unoccupied parking spaces, with the busiest times being evenings, particularly Saturday evenings. Even at peak times, about 60% of the total parking capacity was in use, leaving eighteen spaces vacant.
Further independent analysis by Nottinghamshire County Council echoed these findings, showing that at peak times on weekends, the parking bay was 83% occupied, indicating a substantial remaining capacity for on-street parking.
The current consultation focuses solely on the planning application for 170 Radcliffe Road, with a separate application for No 168 being deferred and awaiting a decision.
Following the statutory consultation and public advertisement of the initial proposals, which involved the complete removal of the residents’ parking bay, nine objections were received.
In response, a revised proposal was put forward, addressing the primary concern of the total removal of the parking bay. This new plan involves removing only a 6-meter section of the bay, necessary for the approved property access. This compromise aims to balance the need for safe property access and minimises the impact on Violet Road residents. Of the nine initial objections, one remains, indicating some residual concerns.
One notable objection highlighted that the proposed access leads to a property on Radcliffe Road, which already has ample parking. The objector raised concerns about the impact on Violet Road residents, who rely on these spaces due to limited driveway capacity.
Responding to these concerns, the authorities have proposed removing only one parking space, aligning with the planning approval. This decision, made after careful consideration of the impact on Violet Road residents and backed by the parking survey data, suggests that the RPS can accommodate this minor reduction in available space without significant inconvenience to the residents.
