People visiting Royal Victoria Park will soon find it easier to find a parking space in proposals being put forward that will eliminate all day, long-stay parking.
Currently people wishing to use the park often cannot park because the roads are clogged with vehicles, many of which are commuters who use it it as a long-stay car park. By introducing Pay & Display restrictions more short-term parking will be available for people wanting to access the park. Charges are set to encourage higher visitor numbers with tariffs lower than other parts of the city centre.
The proposals would also allow the allocation of areas designed to meet the needs of visitors to particular attractions within the park, like the Botanic Gardens, and improve safety because fewer cars are anticipated to be parked in the vicinity.
Councillor Roger Symonds (Lib-Dem, Combe Down), Cabinet Member for Transport, said, “There is no reason why the roads around Royal Victoria Park should be used as a long-stay car park for drivers accessing the city centre. Bath & North East Somerset Council’s priorities in managing limited parking space around the park must be to improve access for people and families wanting access to the facilities and make the environment as safe as possible for people on foot. This is what our proposals are intended to do.
“Our three Park & Ride sites are just minutes away from the city centre. The Council’s multi-million pound investment in their expansion will mean there is ample room for everyone who wants to use them in the future, including people who currently use Royal Victoria Park as a free long-stay car park.”
The Newbridge Park & Ride buses now stop at the Park so that people coming from the west can leave their cars in the Park & Ride and get the bus to the Park. Previous action taken on residents parking zones in nearby residential streets will ensure that there should not be significant displacement of cars.
The Council is keen to hear what people think as part of a consultation due to start shortly. The proposals would also fall into line with the terms of the £1.8 million Heritage Lottery Award in November 2000 which contained a condition to reduce car parking in the park.
The scheme will be advertised in the park, on the Council’s website at www.bathnes.gov.uk/rvparking, and at the Manvers Street One Stop Shop so that people can make representations and objections for consideration by the Cabinet.
The consultation period has started and runs until Thursday 6th December 2012.
