Response to parking plan

Citywide parking controls should include cycle lanes and a retail consultation, district council officers have said.

Any implementation of citywide parking controls should include cycle lanes, attention to school parking and consultation with shop owners.

That’s the view Chichester District Council officers have recommended councillors take on Tuesday.

They are due to meet to discuss the proposals at district council cabinet.

West Sussex County Council is proposing permit parking, waiting restrictions, and double yellow lines across the city in a consultation open until March 31, which it said has had 800 responses to date.

Chichester District Council officers are recommending parking controls be phased to allow the council to review any displacement parking issues.

They noted ‘the full impact of the proposals on retailers’ had not yet been considered and recommended a ‘full consultation of with the retail sector’.

Parking demands for larger employers and organisations in the city ‘may fluctuate’, the report added, while businesses may have issues with customer parking.

The report to cabinet also asked for cycle lanes to be considered at the current stage in the process as part of encouraging ‘behavioural change’ away from using cars.

It said: “Such an approach will in itself help to reduce parking demand through encouraging cycling and walking for short journeys where possible.

“The potential for cycle storage locations has not been included but could be considered.”

Electric vehicle charging bays, car clubs, taxi-ranks and the possible reassignment of coach or bus parking should be included, officers wrote.

There should also be an air quality assessment.

Sunday parking charges should be included for permit controlled areas and prices put at a level that encourages commuters to use car parks instead of residential roads, the report stated.

Parking near schools will need careful attention, particularly where access for school buses is difficult, officers added.