Parking review for the whole of Frome will ease residents’ concerns

FROME councillor, Martin Dimery, says that a parking review for the whole of Frome, which was delayed during Covid, will help solve parking problems in the Weymouth Road and Trinity areas.

In the last issue of Frome Times, we reported that a residents’ group in the Trinity area of Frome had met councillors to discuss a possible parking permit scheme by Somerset County Council. Some residents of Weymouth Road also attended the meeting and said they have experienced parking issues since the permit scheme was introduced in their area, but other residents say that the changes have not caused problems.

Cllr Martin Dimery, who represents Frome on Somerset County Council has explained why the parking permit scheme has been introduced. He said, “I note the Frome Times has devoted a lot of space in recent months to the concerns and while I sympathise with the petitioners, the reports do not fully reflect the reasons why residents in Weymouth Road requested parking permits.

“I picked up this problem when elected to the Frome West council ward in May. The previous ward councillor, John Clarke, had spent some considerable time, at the request of residents in Weymouth Road, trying to solve a serious traffic and parking congestion problem.

“While Weymouth Road residents mostly have off-road parking, the use of both sides of the road by parked vehicles was causing traffic to be channelled into the middle of the carriageway.

“Many of those parking in Weymouth Road were known to be commuters into the town centre. Weymouth Road is used as access to the Avanti School and Victoria Park and gets very busy at certain times of the day.

“The constant need for residents to pull blindly out of their drives into the oncoming traffic posed considerable danger, but forcing schoolchildren to cross the road between parked cars was cited as a particular hazard. Vehicles also had a tendency to speed along the centre of the road in an attempt to gain advantage over those coming in an opposite direction.

Road safety

“Road safety, rather than the convenience of residents, was the motivation for John Clarke to lobby the council.

“The solution suggested by the county parking officer, Steve Deakin, was to conduct a survey of residents to gauge whether parking permits would help resolve the problem. Mindful that restricting parking in one road tends to impact neighbouring streets, the survey was extended and sent by post to all registered addresses in Somerset Road, Nunney Road and streets adjoining.

“The results were clear: 91% of Weymouth Road respondents wanted parking permits. Somerset Road residents were marginally in favour at 54%, but the referendum there was deemed too close to call.

“Nunney Road and the four other streets balloted in the neighbourhood were clearly against permits. It was on that basis that the decision was made to introduce parking permits on Weymouth Road only.

“Some have suggested that permits were introduced as a spurious money-making scheme. This is not the case. The cost of creating the infrastructure meant making a sizable financial outlay, which the authority would rather not do. It would have been far easier to do nothing.

“Once the signage had been installed, it became apparent that some of those regularly parking on Weymouth Road were not commuting into the town centre from outlying areas, but living in Christchurch Street and Catherine Street with no driveways or on-street parking.

“Having been omitted from the original survey, they organised a well-supported petition. By then I had inherited the matter and so, with Steve Deakin, approved the solution of offering those residents parking permits on Weymouth Road and in the areas nearby.

“It was thought that, at just over £1 per week, a permit was good value compared to reserving a space in one of the district council’s car parks at £300 per year – if you can find a space.

“A justifiable concern was also expressed that the Trinity area would now become a greater target for commuter parking, so it seemed very reasonable to offer the opportunity for parking permits in those areas too. There is an argument that drivers coming from out of the town centre should use car parks, the bus, walk, or cycle rather than parking in narrow residential streets, and so a survey is being conducted in this area too.

“Some of the responses to the Trinity survey have been frankly, alarmist, assuming that it was a covert attempt to impose permits, perhaps for financial gain. It is not. It is a genuine attempt to find out what people want. Councils are not permitted by law to raise funds by imposing unnecessary parking restrictions and I would oppose any such scheme, if I thought those regulations were not being adhered to.

“In a recent meeting with Steve Deakin and representatives of Frome Town Council, it was agreed that the parking review for the whole of Frome, which was delayed during Covid, will be enacted, and that any results from the Trinity survey should be taken into consideration in a town-wide strategy, rather than implemented separately.

“It was also agreed that with the abolition of Mendip District Council next year, street parking and car parks would come under the single management of the new unitary Somerset Council, which would help inform the outcomes.

“The Weymouth Road scheme is also being reviewed. In addition, it was agreed that Frome Town Council will be a consultee in the process, and any decisions made will take the town council into consideration.

“I hope the information above adds a little more perspective to the debate, which is now moving forward in a constructive manner.”