Parking could soon be overhauled in Cardiff with new permits set to be introduced and a tax on SUVs implemented.
Last year, a consultation was launched on the new city parking plan which aims to reduce commuter parking, encourage active travel and use of public transport, and improve air quality.
Other measures that will be brought in, should the council’s cabinet members approve the plan next week, include motorbikes requiring parking permits to park in resident bays and phasing out parking permits for residents in the city centre.
The move is also designed to improve parking for certain groups, like carers, who will have the opportunity to apply for new permits.
Instead of being brought in all at once, the new parking controls and rules would be phased in over a period of about ten years.
There was criticism of the council’s parking plan when it was first announced, particularly from students who felt they were being treated unfairly by the restrictions on parking permits for student only homes.
Since the consultation, the plans have been updated to include a number of changes like certain student-only properties remaining eligible for parking permits. However, these properties will have their visitor permit allowance halved.
One of the key elements of the parking plan would see Cardiff split into different parking management areas (PMAs). These would be the city and civic centre area, the inner area, and the outer area - the latter including Cardiff Bay.
Each area will be subdivided into controlled parking zones (CPZs) - here is a closer look at the PMAs being proposed by the council:
City and civic centre area
- Parking will be prioritised for blue badge holders, taxis, buses, and deliveries
- Parking controls will apply all day every day
- There will be no residential parking permits for this area and any existing ones will be phased out when the holder moves property
- Loading will only be allowed in designated bays or areas
Inner area
- Parking will mainly be a mixture of permit holder only bays, short stay pay and stay only bays, and short stay shared use bays
- At a minimum parking controls in this area will apply from 8am to 10pm every day
- Parking permits will continue to be issued for residents, students, community premises, and visitors
- Businesses will continue not being entitled to parking permits
- Loading on most routes will be prohibited between 8am and 10pm every day
Outer area
- Parking will mainly be a mixture of permit holder only bays, short stay shared use pay and stay bays, and short stay shared use limited waiting bays
- The days and times of parking controls to be implemented in each zone will be determined following consultation with communities
- The proposed hours for parking controls include 8am to 10, 8am to 8.30pm, and 8am to 6.30pm
- All permit types will be available in the parking zones here
- Loading on most key routes will be prohibited during peak times
A surcharge for oversized and highly polluting vehicles, such as SUVs (sports utility vehicles), has been kept in the parking plan. But the council did respond to a number of points in the plan that people said they weren’t happy about as has been mentioned with student parking.
A total of 6,381 people responded to the consultation.
The most controversial proposals, according to council data, were no parking permits for city centre residents, the extension of restricted parking hours in the inner city area, and the proposal for business and trade permits to only be issued for parking zones in the outer area.
Some of the other changes Cardiff Council made to its original proposals include:
- Cutting the number of PMAs from four to three, combining the originally proposed Bay PMA with the outer PMA
- Changing the operational days and times for parking controls in the outer PMA to be dependent on local conditions, subject to further consultation
- Greater flexibility to residents for purchasing visitor permits
- Community permits, educational permits, and essential service parking permits will be issued
- The proposed inner zone will be reduced in size to correspond with the historic central parking zone with eligibility criteria for permits being revised to support businesses
If the plan is approved, the local council's governing traffic regulation order (TRO) will need to be updated and another consultation will go out before changes can be implemented.
Costs associated with parking permits and other tariffs will be consulted on as part of this TRO process.
The city parking plan will be discussed at a Cardiff Council environmental scrutiny committee meeting on Thursday, before going to cabinet members for a decision on October 16th.
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