LIB DEMS HAND IN PETITION FOR PARKING BAYS

4.10.33pm GMT Mon 4th Feb 2008

The Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Torbay Council, Councillor Steve Darling, has handed in a 121 signature petition to Conservative Elected Mayor Nick Bye calling for more parking bays.

During the Christmas and New Year break Liberal Democrat Councillors delivered the petition to 7 streets where work to introduce parking bays had been planned but had been stopped by the Mayor.

In a letter submitted with the petitions, Cllr Darling says:

Please find enclosed a petition calling for the reinstatement of the Parking Bays program which ceased a couple of years ago when Officers offered it up to you as a cost saving.

The returns from the individual roads were as follows:

Princes Road East 14

Grenville Avenue 36

St Margaret's Avenue 11

Happaway Road 13

Mincent Hill 29

Severn Road 3

Falloway Close 5.

We are finding in our Wards that the lack of parking bays is resulting in very muddy verges in the bay, with the mud getting spread around on the highways. Sometimes there is also conflict between neighbours. The enclosed Budget Development Item, which shows the costs involved and explains the issues behind this issue further. As a Council we are all committed to improving pride and this should include all areas and not just those at the seafront.

We also circulated a petition to Suncrest Close, but received only two negative phone calls. In light of this Officers should investigate whether Parking Bays are needed in that area.

I very much hope that you will give this matter very serious consideration when finalising your budget proposals at the cabinet meeting on the 5th February 2008.

Councillor Steve Darling said: "There is a real need for these parking bays, and providing them will contribute to a tidier Torbay and enable more people to have more pride in the Bay. Providing parking bays could also help reduce tension between neighbours in streets where parking is a real problem.

"There is also a perception that the Council under the Conservative administration is more interested in looking after the areas where the tourists go. Providing parking bays will show that the Council looks after the interests of its residents also."