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Report

Cabinet Report

Read the full decision report for the 2022 consultation here.

VIEW CABINET REPORT
Camden estate parking changes

What changes are we looking to make?

Changes in the law mean it is increasingly difficult for the Council to control inconsiderate and dangerous parking on housing estates using our current methods.
We want to better manage parking on Camden’s housing estates, so we are proposing to improve the layout of parking spaces and to control parking by using a Traffic Management Order (TMO). This would make parking safer, fairer, easier and allow us to control parking on estates in the same way we do on local streets.
Before we make any changes, please tell us what you think about our proposals. Have your say via our questionnaire once you have read the information below. Please encourage members in your household and neighbours to do the same.
Camden Estate Parking

The Maiden Lane estate following a pilot scheme to change the parking layout and enforcement

To have this information in a larger print, another language or to fill out a paper form of the questionnaire, please send an email to estateparkingcamden@wsp.com or call 07780 244 962.

Have your say on the proposals

Tell us what you think of the proposed changes by completing the questionnaire by midnight on the 19th of December 2022. Please encourage members in your household and neighbours to do the same
To get information about this consultation in another format, such as large print, in another language, or a paper copy of the questionnaire, click on this link to find out to get in touch with us.
THIS CONSULTATION
is now CLOSED
Camden Estate Parking

The Maiden Lane estate following a pilot scheme to change the parking layout and enforcement

Camden estate parking changes

Why do we want to make these changes?

People parking in an inappropriate and inconsiderate way on our estates often block roads and pavements, making it difficult and unsafe for people to move around as well as stopping rubbish trucks getting through. In some cases, unsafe parking has stopped fire engines and ambulances from getting to emergencies on our estates.
Some of you have told us that if you have a parking permit, it is becoming more difficult to find a space to park. In 2020, Camden made a Traffic Management Order for the Maiden Lane Estate and the changes have been successful in deterring motorists who do not have a right to park in the estate. These changes will help reduce congestion and pollution by preventing non-permit holding motorists from parking on the borough’s estates for free. The proposed changes should therefore create more parking space for the people who need it most.
As part of our commitment to improving the environment we live in and tackling climate change, we want to encourage people to use cleaner, heathier, and more affordable forms of transport and where possible will look to introduce provisions such as cycle storage, Electric Vehicle (EV) charging and car club parking.
Camden estate parking changes

What would change?

The new parking controls will make it easier for the Council to trace the vehicle owners causing problems and make it much more difficult for fines to be avoided.
Nearly all the parking spaces on Camden’s estates are numbered and allocated to individual permit holders. For the new parking controls to work, we would need to remove this numbered allocation.
Camden Estate Parking

The Maiden Lane estate following a pilot scheme to change the parking layout and enforcement

Have your say on the proposals

Tell us what you think of the proposed changes by completing the questionnaire by midnight on the 19th of December 2022. Please encourage members in your household and neighbours to do the same
To get information about this consultation in another format, such as large print, in another language, or a paper copy of the questionnaire, click on this link to find out to get in touch with us.
THIS CONSULTATION
is now CLOSED

FAQs

The most common Frequently Asked Questions are below:
  • WHAT POWERS DOES CAMDEN CURRENTLY USE TO CONTROL PARKING ON ITS HOUSING ESTATES?

    The Council uses contract Law to enforce parking on most of estates. This is an agreement between the Council and a Resident which allows parking on an estate as long as certain conditions are met. Signage around the estates warns motorists of the parking conditions.

  • WHY CAN’T THE PARKING STAY THE SAME?

    Under the current system of contract law, it’s difficult and time-consuming for the Council to prove the identity of people who park badly on estates.

    The Government has advised Councils that they should not be using contract law to enforce parking on off-street land such as housing estates.

  • WHAT IS A TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT ORDER?

    A Traffic Management Order allows the Council to control parking in a chosen area. They are commonly used on public roads but can also be used on estates. They set out who is allowed to park and when. They also allow Civil Enforcement Officers (traffic wardens) to issue Penalty Charge Notices (parking fines) to vehicles that are parked incorrectly or causing an obstruction.

  • WOULD PARKING PERMITS COST MORE?

    No - these proposals do not include any changes to estate permit charging. However, to help achieve goals set out in the Camden Transport Strategy, the Council continuously reviews all its parking controls and permits.

  • WHY DO YOU NEED TO REMOVE THE NUMBERING FROM THE PARKING BAYS?

    Parking enforcement under a Traffic Management Order relies on un-numbered bays to work effectively. We know that having unnumbered resident parking already works well on the Maiden Lane estate and on the borough’s public roads. It simplifies permit applications, helps the work of our enforcement team, and significantly reduces the costs of new road markings and signs.

    We want to align estate parking with the parking on public roads. Currently, a numbered parking bay cannot be used by another permit holder even if the space is empty. Given the limited space on estates, unnumbered parking helps us provide for people that need the parking space the most - such as those with disabilities (disabled bays will continue to be designated) - while allowing permit holders more options for where they choose to park.

  • WHAT ABOUT VISITOR PARKING?

    The Council will use this and subsequent consultations to understand the demand for visitor parking on estates.

  • WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

    This is your chance to have your say on these proposed changes. We will use what you tell us to understand your needs and to make any improvements to these proposals.

    Depending on the outcome of this consultation, the final proposals will then need to be agreed by Camden’s Cabinet members. Before we make changes to your estate, there will be a second consultation where residents will be able to comment on the new proposals in more detail.

    Considerable time and effort are required to bring in these changes. To balance the workload and make sure we get it right, we plan to carry out the work in phases, starting with 5-10 estates to be announced at a later date.

    We will aim to introduce the improvements to the first phase of estates before the end of 2023.