Years of bad parking has caused many problems in the area
Commuters have been using the road for its free all-day parking(Image: Leicester Mercury)
A new parking scheme designed to tackle recurring problems is being rolled out along a busy Leicester road.
Leicester City Council said it will introduce the permit-only parking scheme in the Evington Road area, near Victoria Park, to help address local concerns about the number of commuter and business vehicles using residential streets for free all-day parking. It will mainly include terraced streets adjoining the busy road, affecting a total of around 1,300 homes and businesses.
Speaking to LeicestershireLive, residents and business owners in and around Evington Road said the new rules have been long awaited. Owner of Ace Auto Repairs, Nick Bains, said: “It’s about time, people have been double parking outside of here and all over the main road for a long time.”
Multiple vehicles were seen breaking parking rules during our visit(Image: Leicester Mercury)
The 51-year-old believes that while the new scheme is welcome, he is afraid it will kick the problematic parking can down the road. He said: “Its great but it will just push the traffic elsewhere, won’t it? Especially on Fridays when the mosque starts, all the traffic will end up on the Evington Lane side, so it will get worse around there.”
Mr Bains also said he is not looking forward to the cost of the permits, saying: “Its already hard to find spare money and this will not help. Its an extra cost which many cannot afford.”
Under the city council’s parking permit scheme, charges will be £35 per year for a residents’ permit; £100 per year for a business permit tied to a particular vehicle, and £150 for a business permit that can be transferred between vehicles.
One resident, who has lived in Cromer Street, which adjoins Evington Road, for more than 20 years, said that the permits should be free for locals. A second said: “It should be free for your first car but if you have more than one then yes you should pay. It’s only fair.”
The second resident was not optimistic the new permit scheme will make a difference to the parking issues either, saying most families now have multiple cars to their name.
They said: “No it won’t make a difference. With most families having more than two or three cars, that many vehicles cannot fit on these roads, so we end up never having any free spots. There is more cars than people.”
Others raised different fears regarding the new permits, such as reduced visitor and trade footfall along Evington Road. Manager at The Meat and Fish Co, Mohammed said: “They need to make sure customers are still able to stop for 15 minutes and pop out to do their shopping or we will be badly affected 100 per cent.
“I see dangerous parking here everyday, so of course I’m happy with these new rules, they just need to make sure they still allow people to stop for a short time.”
Another resident in Cromer Street raised concerns of enforcing the new permits. They said: “No one is going to come by and check who has a permit. Who is going to enforce these rules?
“I was talking to a warden the other day and someone parked up on a double yellow line and said to the warden, ‘I will only be two minutes’ and the warden let him off. I understand he was actually only two minutes, but this is how the problem starts as everyone gets let off.”
Despite their concerns, the resident backed the £35 per year cost. They said: “I suppose they have to cost something. The government does not have an unlimited pot of money to give out from. Most of those complaining about the price are the people who have two or three cars to their name.”
The new Stoneygate residents parking scheme will be introduced from Monday, November 17. The council said fixed penalty notices are due to be introduced from Monday, December 1.
Speaking about the permits, Councillor Geoff Whittle, assistant city mayor for environment and transport, said: “We’ve seen in other parts of the city how the introduction of residents’ parking schemes can be an effective way of tackling parking problems by freeing up spaces for the people who live there.”
“After months of careful consideration and consultation, the introduction of the new Stoneygate residents parking scheme will help alleviate problems. It will also introduce a range of new measures – including a range of short-term parking bays on Evington Road – to help ensure local businesses don’t suffer.”
