People living in some areas of Plymouth’s Devonport and Ham wards are being asked for their views on the potential introduction of residents’ parking permits, following a recent survey.
The survey, carried out between September and October 2024, asked around 14,000 households for their feedback on issues caused by commuter parking in residential streets around the dockyard.
We commissioned the survey following resident complaints over a number of years that workers park in their streets and make it difficult for them to park near their homes. The aim was to gauge their views on the scale of the problem and potential solutions, before looking at possible next steps.
After careful consideration of the feedback we are now balloting residents in seven areas, covering specific streets within Morice Town, Keyham and Weston Mill.
Each of these seven areas meet both of the following key criteria:
• residents reported difficulty parking in their streets due to non-residents (commuters) parking there
• and the majority said they would be open to residents’ parking permits being introduced to tackle the problem
We are asking residents in each area whether they would or would not like a controlled parking zone to be introduced, explaining what this would involve. A controlled parking zone can only be progressed if more than half of its residents respond and more than half of those who cast a vote are in support.
Councillor John Stephens, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Transport, said: “People living around the dockyard have been telling us for many years that they struggle to park but opinions vary on how this could or should be tackled.
“We wanted to get a more detailed insight into what people thought the specific challenges and causes were, which is why we invited so many households to take part in the survey. The feedback has been really useful and it’s clear not everyone shares the same views on what the issues are and what should happen.
“One thing we do know is there are streets where most people who responded felt that commuter parking was the problem and were very receptive to the idea of permits – which is why we are now balloting these seven zones as a first step.”
Some survey respondents said they experienced difficulty parking but they felt it was mainly due to the number of cars owned by their neighbours compared to spaces. Residents’ parking permits would not resolve this issue and are therefore not being proposed in these areas.
Maps showing the zones being balloted, along with some questions and answers, can be viewed on our parking ballot page.
The ballot will run until Thursday 14 August. Residents in the ballot areas will receive letters advising how to respond online or, if they don’t have internet access, request a paper copy or complete it over the phone.