COUNCIL officers have confirmed that a residents-only parking zone in Oxford will finally be introduced next month.

Plans for a controlled parking zone (CPZ) in Cutteslowe were approved in February but since then Oxfordshire County Council has failed to bring the scheme into force.

In May the county council said that the necessary signs and markings would be put in place by the end of that month but two months later residents are still having to put up with problems caused by commuters parking in their streets.

County councillor for Summertown and Wolvercote Jean Fooks said: “I have been chasing them about this since February and I have been promised dates that haven’t happened.

“I gather that the team has been cut and the workload has increased but that’s for the county council to sort out.

“It is not very satisfactory and very frustrating. It cannot be a good use of time and they have to decide exactly where they stand.”

Parking problems in the area have been caused by commuters not wanting to pay for the Water Eaton park and ride, as well as Oxford City Council’s policy of charging people to use car parks such as Cutteslowe Park.

Harefields resident Allie Noel said: “Every group of residents has got a different perspective because the conditions vary depending on whether you are near the park or not.

“In Harefields we are quite pleased with the arrangements because there will be only two permits per house and there are a lot of houses which have many cars because of renters.

“It has taken quite a long time to be introduced but it is a complicated matter and the county council has worked hard to get it right.”

The CPZ has been in the pipeline for 18 months but because the original scheme relied on “non-standard” signs, it was not approved by the Department for Transport.

At the time the first decision on the CPZ was made, the Government was approving non-standard signs.

But councils must now use signs chosen from a list provided by the Department for Transport and the Cutteslowe scheme was given approval again in February after being redrawn.

County council spokesman Martin Crabtree said: “Letters with information on the approved scheme and how to apply for permits, along with permit application forms, will be sent out by post to all the residents next week.

“It is our intention to issue permits in August with the zone coming into operation at the end of the month.”

Mr Crabtree said the markings are now in place, but are not being enforced, as the signs have not been installed yet.

 

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