Elmbridge Parking Management Strategy

This aims to improve the strategic management of  off-street and on-street parking in the borough, to the benefit of the community. It is a joint initiative by Elmbridge Borough and Surrey County Councils. A draft strategy was produced in June 2008. Elmbridge Councillors commented on it in July & August.  Surrey gave a brief response in December 2008.  Review of a revised strategy is awaited before it goes out for public consultation -- which we want to happen as soon a possible.

Why the strategy is needed

At present, uncoordinated parking controls and charges lead to unintended consequences, including long-stay commuter parking clogging up residential roads. Hence Elmbridge BC decided a strategic objective was to prepare a Parking Management Strategy to support the delivery of parking objectives including:

• improved traffic management
• reduced congestion
• reduced dependency on motor vehicles
• maintaining an adequate balance of on and off street parking for all sectors of the community.  

Funded jointly by Elmbridge Borough County and Surrey County Council (as the local Highways Authority), consultants Colin Buchanan were commissioned to carry out a study of parking in Elmbridge and develop a draft Parking Management Strategy. 

Public consultation overdue

This draft Strategy was presented to the Elmbridge BC Cabinet by consultants Colin Buchanan on 4th June 2008.  At this meeting, the Cabinet decided to ask the consultants to undertake more detailed work on local parking issues in specific areas; and in the interim to invite the Environmental Affairs Overview and Scrutiny Committee to consider the draft Strategy. 

This was done via a Task Group (whose members include Miles Macleod), which gathered feedback from councillors across the borough in July and August 2008. You can read some detailed comments on parking issues in Weybridge North in the Task Group report below. A brief response has been received from Surrey. We are now awaiting view of a revised version of the strategy, which we understand will go out for public consultation as soon as possible. Your councillors are concerned about the time this is taking and have been pushing for faster action.

What  the strategy covers

Below are links to the two key documents setting out the Elmbridge Parking Management Strategy:

1. The research-based strategy report presented to Cabinet on 4 June 2008 as a draft for consideration. This sets out some sound basic principles, but has gaps.
2. The follow-on report from the EBC Parking Management Strategy Task Group, which gives a more specific ward-by-ward focus, delivered on 18 September 2008. You will see that it identifies parking issues in many roads in Weybridge North.

1. EBC Parking Management Strategy - CBNT - 040608
Abstract: Consultants have prepared a draft Parking Management Strategy for on and off-street parking based on a detailed study of parking practices, demands and facilities in Elmbridge. This is the first such study undertaken in Elmbridge and follows considerable changes in how parking is managed. Members are asked to consider a draft Strategy prior to public consultation.

2. Parking Management Strategy Task Group - ENV - 180908
Abstract: Environmental Affairs Overview and Scrutiny Committee - 18th September, 2008. Agenda item 6. Report and Recommendations of the ‘Elmbridge Parking Management Strategy Task Group’. On 1st July 2008, this Committee received an invitation from the Cabinet “to make comments on the draft Elmbridge Parking Management Strategy”. Following consideration of this invitation, the Committee decided to establish a task group to consider the draft Strategy and report back to the Committee at this meeting with recommendations as to the comments that the Committee might make to the Cabinet in response. The Task Group’s report and findings is attached at Appendix A.