A pavement parking odyssey

[Drago]

TROs are tricky, as while it can be done that's not what the legislation was designed for so the process are clunky, supposedly, hence it rarely being used.

Something in the dusty redesses of my memory suggests they have to apply them street by street, a separate process for each, when it comes to parking, rather than one fort an entire zone, area or borough. Or maybe I dreamed it. There is some impediment that though that makes it not simple.

Edit - yes, they have to go through the process street by street with a TRO. I guess thats a lot,of hassle and legal expense to do a whole town that way.

 

[mjr]

Edit - yes, they have to go through the process street by street with a TRO. I guess thats a lot,of hassle and legal expense to do a whole town that way.

Norfolk has some whole town TROs. Are they invalid somehow, then?

 

[Drago]

Norfolk has some whole town TROs. Are they invalid somehow, then?

Not at all, just an enormous job of expensive work to implement, a different single legal process for each individual street. A lot of filthy lucre.

I never suggested it was in any way invalid, but you must surely appreciate that hundreds of separate TROs is a lot more effort and expense than a single order for an entire town?

With the new legislation theyll be able to wave an administrative magic wand and do an entire city or even (in the case of combined authories) county, with the paperwork, legal expense, consultation, etc, currently required for a single street.

With the significant administrative and finaincial burden of the process alleviated I hope many more towns will go for it. Fingers crossed it might even become the default position, butnI temper that hopemp with a dollop of cynicism.

 

[mjr]

Not at all, just an enormous job of expensive work to implement, a different single legal process for each individual street. A lot of filthy lucre.

Most of the current orders have been passed since I've been involved in consultations. Each order was passed in one process. As far as I can tell, the only extra expense is a copy of the pre-order notice is posted in each street listed in the articles. Usually, they save some expense by posting at junctions. It isn't a whole separate process for each street, so I'm not sure the latest announcement is going to change much. I wish they'd stop faffing about and change the default. Could drop the limit on narrow minor rural roads to 40mph at the same time.

 

[Drago]

That differs from the staff pages of the district council Intranet that I can access as a Parish councillor.

This sums it up...

Local authorities can restrict pavement parking on individual streets (or by area) by making a traffic regulation order (TRO). The drawback is that this can shift the problem elsewhere. Making a TRO is also a time consuming and expensive process - it takes up to two years and requires extensive public consultation.

Thats going to get a lot easier soon.

 

[Accy cyclist]

I've just seen this. It was filmed in the borough of Hyndburn (Accrington and district) where I live.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1KqbDnvhFX/

 

[classic33]

Seen Saturday, opposite the junction near the local driving test centre.
Two man company, with the bosses house on the right-hand side of the road, just below where it's parked up.

 

[Windle]

Last week there was an artic tanker lorry parked up overnight, fully on the footpath in front of this derelict cottage on the left in Evenwood Gate, I would have taken a photo but I was in the car and it was dark. I do hope there aren't any service trenches or drains under there.

 

[Drago]

View attachment 798650

View attachment 798652
Seen Saturday, opposite the junction near the local driving test centre.
Two man company, with the bosses house on the right-hand side of the road, just below where it's parked up.

OOh, lorry on the footway is a 3 point offence regardless of whether it is causing an obstruction. I'd email that to the local transport commissioner.

 

[Windle]

OOh, lorry on the footway is a 3 point offence regardless of whether it is causing an obstruction. I'd email that to the local transport commissioner.

It didn't have a company name, I suspect it's from one of the farms round here and it's not been back since. If it's there again it'll get reported. The footpath in front of the terrace to the left of there is always full of parked cars as well, despite them all having gardens and garages round the back.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

It didn't have a company name, I suspect it's from one of the farms round here

If you can get a photo of the operator's licence (blue disc in windscreen), all the better.

 

[Badger_Boom]

That differs from the staff pages of the district council Intranet that I can access as a Parish councillor.

This sums it up...

Local authorities can restrict pavement parking on individual streets (or by area) by making a traffic regulation order (TRO). The drawback is that this can shift the problem elsewhere. Making a TRO is also a time consuming and expensive process - it takes up to two years and requires extensive public consultation.

Thats going to get a lot easier soon.

With regard to your bold text: be aware that consultation is open to challenge because a lot of local authorities are useless at it, if they do it at all.

We've just objected to a proposed TRO (as have a lot of my neighbours) and one of the reasons was poor consultation. We live on a narrow terraced street which has along standing problem with commuters and weekend visitors using it as a free car park (it's not permit controlled). This is compounded by one side being a single yellow line with parking restricted to between 1700 and 0900 on weekdays. We and other residents have had to complain about vehicles occasionally being abandoned for the day (and sometimes longer) in positions that effectively block the street and trap cars at the bottom end, and I have to think hard about using the car during weekdays because I'll probabaly have to park several streets away on my return (and create the same problem for someone else).

Presumably based on parking complaints, the council sent us a 'consultation' letter informing us that their solution was a TRO to make the single yellow line a double, but leave the other side unchanged. It wasn't really a consultation but rather a statement of what they intended to do, but no alternatives (e.g. making it a permit zone) were offered. Their proposal wouldn't do anything about the cause of the problem (the lure of free parking), and would reduce the total available space by about 50% in the current unrestricted hours. They also didn't send letters to the adjoining street which will also be affected by the proposed changes.

 

[Drago]

Yep. And theyre supposed to do that street by street for a TRO!

 

[tarric]

Seemingly it's illegal to park on the pavement in London and Scotland, punishable by a fine and has been since 2022.

 

[Drago]

In London since 1973(?)

None of the doom, gloom, and deathkill carnage that the nay sayers predicted ever arose in London or Scotlandland (where Im also from.)