Residents Demand Action on Parking Problems

9.05.00pm GMT Mon 10th Mar 2008

Commuter parking is out of control

Residents from Rosebank, Lib Dem councillors and activists all turned up to quiz the Local Committee at its meeting on 10th March. During the half hour public question time, Rosebank residents told the Committee about their parking problems and how they have to compete with shoppers, workers and commuters every day.

Despite the good news that County Councillor Colin Taylor (Lib Dem, SW Division) had allocated £3000 of his small "county councillor allocation" to fund a feasibility study into parking problems of Rosebank, Councillor Alison Kelly (Town) asked the Committee to bear in mind that just creating more parking spaces in Rosebank was not an option because commuters would take up those extra spaces. Councillor Julie Morris asked for action on the widespread parking problems for residents living in and around Epsom, citing positive responses from the consultation carried out six years ago and a worsening situation for many roads since that time. She also expressed concern that the issue was not being taken seriously by the Local Committee.

Cllr Morris added "I intend to go on questioning the Local Committee until they start to take action. I don't believe the previous borough-wide consultation on residents' parking should be ignored since it remains a document of some integrity. Things have undoubtedly moved on though and the subject needs revisiting and solutions need reworking. The results of the previous consultation were skewed, the phased implementation conveniently forgotten and a forthcoming election loomed - all of which steered the borough council toward a negative outcome."

The next meeting of the Local Committee will be at Bourne Hall on Monday 9th June.