Update on resident parking permit scheme

Bridgend County Borough Council has issued an update on its ongoing efforts to introduce new resident parking permits in the Bridgend town centre area.

With a new policy and updated on-street traffic orders in place, informal consultation has been completed with residents living in zone eight (Cheltenham Terrace, South Place, Suffolk Street, Free School Court and Jenkins Street).

This has enabled the council to address a number of issues and concerns. A 21-day period of formal public consultation is now being organised, and will be announced soon.

The consultation process, which is being carried out one zone at a time in order to address issues that are specific to each individual area, will then move on to zones two, six and four.

Zone two features Sunnyside Road, Cae Dre Street, Newcastle Hill Pedestrian zone and Newcastle Hill. Zone six is made up of Caewallis Street, St Marie Street, Phyllis Avenue, South Street and Grove Road), and zone four includes Morfa Street, Vernon Street, Acland Road, High View, Charles Street, Herbet Street and Minerva Street.

This scheme has been developed in response to requests and complaints from householders who experience difficulty parking near their homes due to available spaces being taken by drivers from outside the area, often for long periods of time. It is a long, complex process with many legal aspects that must all be considered and resolved, but I want to assure residents that work is continuing, and that progress is being made.

Work completed prior to the Covid-19 pandemic saw a review of the authority’s parking policy, the identification of a series of zones where parking permits could be introduced, and changes made to existing on-street traffic orders necessary for enabling a new permit scheme to be introduced.

The recently completed informal consultation has enabled us to consider and account for various issues, suggestions and objections before we move into the formal period of public consultation. This is currently being finalised with our legal department, and we will be announcing details very soon.

Councillor Stuart Baldwin, Cabinet Member for Communities