Category: Traffic (Page 1 of 2)

Pavement Parking – how to avoid a ticket

A couple of weeks ago, we were contacted by residents of Vennard Gardens following a complaint from a person with a pram who was unable to use the pavement due to cars being parked on it at the Pollokshaws end of the street. As a result of the complaint, parking tickets were issued to vehicles parked on the pavement along the entire length of the street, if they left under 1.5m of pavement width. Cars parked on the pavement had previously been ticketed in Marywood Square after a complaint that one vehicle blocked someone’s front gate. This has caused a lot of confusion and anger amongst residents.

The Society asked the Council about this. In short, although Strathbungo is still ‘in consideration’ regarding pavement parking, until there is a full exemption agreed and signage to that effect per street, cars parked on the pavement will not be exempt from enforcement. The criteria for enforcement are a) The council receive a specific complaint and b) The vehicle(s) does not allow a pedestrian/wheelchair user to pass (defined as 1.5m, the minimum recommended width of a pavement).

So, please be mindful of where and how you park in the area. The Garden’s pavements are wider than the Squares (typically 1.75m) so please be sure to park with space to allow pedestians/wheelchair users to pass on the pavement. In the Squares the pavements are much narrower. Here the guidance remains more ambiguous, but be mindful that if you are parked close to a garden gate into a property, make sure there is plenty of space for residents to enter/exit their front gardens easily and safely.

For full information about pavement parking please go to GCC Pavement Parking Prohibitions

The council have sent us an abridged version as follows:

Assessment

Our assessment progress can be viewed on our interactive map, where roads are now coloured Red, Yellow or Blue.

Blue: Roads within future proposed parking zone boundaries
Status: Not being considered for exemption at this time. Any consideration for an exemption will be considered as part of the parking zone proposals.
Enforcement: Pavement parking enforcement will be carried out if: 1. We receive a specific complaint and 2. The vehicle(s) does not allow a pedestrian/wheelchair user to pass

Enforcement

The enforcement of pavement parking, double parking and parking at dropped kerb crossing points is underway. The enforcement team are now dealing with any issues as part of their reactive complaints process. The public can highlight issues with pavement parking, double parking and parking at dropped kerb crossing points through “reporting a parking problem”.

We reserve the right to enforce in any street, including those shown in yellow* on the interactive map, should any clear safety issues be brought to our attention, to comply with our duty to ensure public safety. E.g. vehicle(s) parking on pavements and forcing pedestrians on to the road to bypass the vehicle(s).

* This also includes streets shown in blue

Exemptions

Until such time an exemption order is implemented, it must be noted that no roads are currently exempt from pavement parking. However, enforcement will only be undertaken on these roads if vehicles are fully obstructing a pavement which would force pedestrians/wheelchair users on to the road to bypass parked vehicles, as outlined above.

Any further updates to Pavement Parking Prohibitions will be provided on the webpage and specific information on the assessment for streets in Strathbungo will be included in updates on the proposed RPZ for the area.

I trust this information will be useful in informing the residents of your community.

For clarity the map (previously purple and green) now has three colours:

Red: Pavement parking ban now being enforced (most roads)
Blue: Within a proposed future parking scheme (includes all roads in the Strathbungo Society area)
Yellow: Exemption being taken forward (rare, nearest are in Mount Florida)

Any further updates to Pavement Parking Prohibitions will be provided on the webpage and specific information on the assessment for streets in Strathbungo will be included in updates on the proposed RPZ for the area.

Nithsdale Road closure

From the council:

Nithsdale Road will be closed between the roundabout at Moray Place and Pollokshaws Road for environmental works on Tuesday 21st July. All vehicles should be removed from this area prior to 8am on Tuesday 21st July.

Neighbourhood Coordinator (Ward 6 – Pollokshields)
Neighbourhoods Regeneration & Sustainability
Glasgow City Council
Eastgate
727 London Road
Glasgow
G40 3AQ

Bins & Parking Update

Society Response

The Society has been busy since the AGM, and has now submitted a response to the council based on your feedback and comments. You can still feed back yourself here until 15 December. You should use the code on your letter from the council if you have it, but the survey can be completed without it.

We wrote thus

To Kevin Argue and the Transport Projects department:

Please find attached the Strathbungo Society’s response to Glasgow City Council’s proposed changes to bin collections and parking arrangements within the Strathbungo Squares, Roads, Streets, and Gardens. As a community organisation representing local residents, the Society has gathered extensive feedback, concerns, and objections from those who will be directly affected. These views are reflected in full within the attached document.

The Strathbungo Society vehemently objects to the proposals as currently presented. Residents have expressed deep concern regarding the impact these measures would have on the character of the area, the quality of life within our conservation neighbourhood, and the daily practicalities of living, working, and travelling in Strathbungo. The proposals, in their current form, fail to take into account the unique constraints of the area, the heritage considerations, and the strong and well-evidenced views of the community.

We urge Glasgow City Council to reconsider these plans and we are committed to working collaboratively to help find solutions that address the Council’s aims while preserving the safety, accessibility, and historic character of the area.

We trust that the Council will give full and serious consideration to the attached submission and to the clear objections raised by the community.

Kind regards

Paola Rezzilli
Chair, the Strathbungo Society

The Society’s response can be read in full below.

Strathbungo Consultation Response

Meetings

Meanwhile, the Society had an online meeting with the council regarding the bins. The council still wishes to find a solution to the issues they face collecting from the lanes between Nithsdale Road and Queen Square. The following was agreed

  • The council recognised the opposition to on-street bins and does not intend to proceed with these at present.
  • Glass bin collections will cease (we think just for the affected lanes). Glass collection uses specialist large vehicles that don’t fit in the lanes. Local bin collection points will be provided instead. The council has proposed bins at the Pollokshaws Road end of Regent Park Square and Queen Square, and beside the roundabout by Bossa/1 Moray Place.
  • Some have suggested resurfacing the back lanes, but that is likely to meet objections from both planning and other local residents, so is not thought to be an option.
  • Discussions will continue regarding alternative solutions. The Society has suggested investing properly in smaller vehicles since it became apparent in the meeting that they currently borrow smaller vehicles from other departments. If that fails, there is still no obvious solution.

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Strathbungo Parking Survey

When we first got wind of the council’s plans for change to bin collections and parking controls in Strathbungo back in the summer, we conducted a survey of local residents. This was advertised through our usual digital channels and through various local WhatsApp groups.

We received over 200 replies, with a real balance of opinions, but the take-home points are:

1. The pavements aren’t fit for purpose, because they are already too narrow, and blocked not just by cars but by hedges too. This is particularly so in the Squares and Moray Place.

2. Residents are either happy walking in the road, or feel it is necessary. Many consider it a positive aspect of life in Strathbungo, and many would continue to do so even if pavement parking was banned.

3. Thus it makes more logical sense to create a Home Zone, where pedestrians have priority in the roadway, rather than banning pavement parking.

4. Motorists need to be deterred or prevented from parking across property entrances however, especially if pavement parking is permitted.

5. A parking permit scheme is not popular; most parking is residential anyway, and it was not thought it would improve parking provision. There was little evidence it would reduce the number of cars owned by residents.

6. There is concern that a permit scheme might increase conversion of front or back gardens for parking. The option might not always be available, but 35% of respondents said a scheme might encourage them to do this.

7. On-street central bin stores are deeply unpopular, and steps to enable continued collection from rear lanes were a clear preference.

8. Any solutions need to consider the need for EV charging infrastructure, if EVs are to be more popular.

 

You can read the parking survey results in full. They will be discussed at the AGM on 4th November.

UPDATE: No sooner do we post than the council publishes the full consultation. You can see it here, though loading the plan as a pdf is a struggle. You can access an alternative version here – it is a vast improvement and zooms instantly (thanks to Paul Hart for doing this).

 

Big changes are coming!

Big changes are coming to Strathbungo! Have your say!

We have got wind of an upcoming council proposal, due in late August, that will likely propose major changes to the roads, and the bins, in the area. The aim is to tackle three problems:

1. How to introduce the pavement parking ban (our exemption is only temporary)
2. How to introduce a residents’ parking permit scheme
3. How to improve bin collection, possibly by using on-road communal collection points

The Society hopes to influence any plans for the better when they come, but we realise opinions vary.

Note: The survey has now closed. Results will appear on bungoblog.com in due course. Thanks for all the responses.

Traffic disruption

Expect traffic disruption over the next few weeks…

OFFICIAL

MESSAGE SENT ON BEHALF OF ANDREW BEGLIN,
GROUP MANAGER – PARKING SERVICES
NEIGHBOURHOODS, REGENERATION AND SUSTAINABILITY

Dear Member,

I can advise that we will be undertaking high priority roadmarking refurbishment works on Pollokshaws Road between Allison Street and Minard Road in January. These works will also include Minard Road, Abbot Street and a short section of Langside Avenue will also be undertaken between Pollokshaws Road and Tantallon Road.

Works will commence on Tuesday 7 January 2025 between Marywood Square and Springhill Gardens with further sections being undertaken each week thereafter. These works are dependent on favourable weather conditions, but we are hopeful these works will be completed by the end of January.

To facilitate the works, temporary restrictions and lane closures will be in place and will be managed by the Councils appointed traffic management contractor who will be present on site for the majority of the roadmarking works. These works will inevitably cause some disruption until they are complete. SPT have also been advised of the programmed works.

A letter drop is being carried out to notify residents and businesses of the pending works (attached below) in addition to advanced notice signs, temporary restriction notices, yellow parking suspension boards and yellow “No Loading” cones. Parking Attendants will also carry out enforcement of the temporary restrictions for the duration of the works to mitigate obstructive parking which could delay progress.

I trust this is of assistance at this time.

Andrew Beglin
Group Manager – Parking Services
Neighbourhoods, Regeneration and Sustainability

Parking Update

Cllr Ghani has passed on a communication from council officers on the enforcement of the ban on pavement parking. It clarfies the council’s current position very well.

Essentially they have divided Glasgow’s roads up into ones where they will enforce the ban, becasue there is no issue (e.g. Pollokshields Road, Titwood Road) and those where they will defer enforcement while further work is undertaken (e.g. most of Strathbungo’s Squares and Gardens).

Our interpretation is that pavement parking will remain technically illegal, but there will be no enforcement, and no further nagging warning notes, until further notice, on roads coloured green. I suspect that might be for quite a while given the scale of the task.

Note there are some exceptions. The ban will be enforced on Titwood Road, Nitshdale Street, and at some of the entrances to the Squares, where the road is wider. Check the map; purple streets will have the ban enforced, green will not.

Excerpt from council map of streets

Map showing which streets will have the ban enforced (purple).

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Parking in Strathbungo

This article was first published in 2019, but we are reproducing it here as the debate on pavement parking has resurfaced due to recent changes in legislation. The Society is actively seeking opinions on how to respond to the pavement parking ban that may (or may not) be applied to Strathbungo.

The adverse effect of traffic on the comfort and safety of the residents in this area has the same root cause as in any other urban area, i.e. too many vehicles in too small a space. However, the problem is aggravated in Strathbungo in that the streets were not designed to carry through traffic or fast traffic, or to be used for parking. The older streets, Regent Park Square, Queen Square, Marywood Square and the northern half of Moray Place were built on a scale adequate for access to the houses by horse and carriage. The result is we have an area which is totally unsuitable for the unrestricted use of motor vehicles, whether belonging to residents or to anyone else.

So said the Strathbungo Society in their fact finding report in 1972. It’s a common theme in Strathbungo that the concerns of today are little different from those of yesterday, but it has been brought into focus by this week’s announcement of legislation to ban pavement parking in Scotland. What effect will this have on Strathbungo? Will we need to ask for an exemption, or is this the very thing we have been waiting for?

In 1972 the Society conducted a survey of the numbers of cars and commercial vehicles parked in Strathbungo overnight, There is nothing like hard data to base a discussion on, and so I couldn’t miss the opportunity to repeat it. This is what they, and I, found.

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What do you want Strathbungo to look like?

You might have noticed the consultation on the neighbouring Langside, Battlefield, Mount Florida, King’s Park & Toryglen Liveable Neighbourhoods. This year it is likely to be the turn of Strathbungo and Shawlands to be consulted in this way as the Glasgow City Council works its way across the city. This is a key opportunity to tell the council what the current problems are and what our hopes and dreams for the future of Strathbungo and the surrounding area are.

If we submit our best ideas, some of them might get funded and there is also the possibility that this consultation could lead to a Local Place Plan. This would give the agreed hopes and dreams of residents the full force of planning law and so bring them about through future developments.

While this consultation is still unconfirmed and months away, the time to get thinking is now. What do you want fixed? What do you want to change? What do you want to keep? How can we build an even better Strathbungo?

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