Parking permit scheme extended to more Lincoln streets

Lincoln council leaders have accelerated plans to set up a new and expanded Residents Parking Scheme in a bid to reduce traffic on city centre roads.

The current scheme, examined by City of Lincoln’s executive committee on Monday, sees households pay £26 a year for their first permit and £52 for a second.

The aim is to reduce the amount of traffic on city centre roads while freeing up parking for residents.

The initial two phases would include 129 properties across eight streets in the areas of uphill Lincoln, from Newport Arch to Westgate in the Bailgate area.

A third phase of 3,977 properties could cover 76 further streets.

The proposed first two phases of the scheme.

Councillors were told that since the news first broke, residents on streets not included in the documents had been in touch and these would be consulted on. More than 50 per cent support is needed from residents to go ahead.

Indicative time-scales, if consultation is approved, estimates that the first phase could begin in January 2019, with phase two in July and phase three in November of the same year.

Council leader Ric Metcalfe said the council was very aware of the adverse effect visitors, shoppers and commuters have on residents.

“This is an attempt to find a solution for local people,” he said, but acknowledged it “might not be popular with everybody”.

Business will also be consulted on the effect such a scheme might have on them, councillors were told, and Lincoln BIG was also being worked with to come up with a ‘commuter plan’.

Councillor Neil Murray said: “This will improve the quality of life as part of our regeneration efforts.”

He added: “It’s not a perfect solution but its part of the way to that.”

If all three phases were implemented, it would mean set-up costs to the City of Lincoln authority of £225,000 with ongoing costs of £89,300.

Lincolnshire County Council could also pay £224,000 towards signs and road markings.

Estimated incomes for all three phases add up to £269,555.

If that were to happen, the scheme would operate at a loss for the first three years, with surpluses generated from the fourth year onwards.

Where the third phase of the scheme could cover if it gets the go-ahead.

If only the biggest scheme was brought in, it would operate at a loss for two years before beginning to make a profit, and if only the smaller two phases were agreed it would operate at an increasing loss year-on-year.

Any profits would be fed back into the operating costs and any subsequent extension.

Money for the scheme will come from the authority’s Invest to Save Reserve, which it says it will then repay over time.

The roads to be included as new or existing zones in the first two phases are:

• Union Road
• Burton Road
• Chestnut Street
• Church Lane (north side only)
• Newport
• Northgate (north side only)
• James Street
• Bailgate

The roads proposed to be included in the third phase are:

• Archer Street
• Charles Street
• Chaplin Street
• Chelmsford Street
• Cross Street
• Hermit Street
• Kesteven Street
• King Street
• Lewis Street
• Monson Street
• Palmer Street
• Portland Street
• Ripon Street
• Sincil Bank
• St Andrews Place
• St Andrews Street
• Stanley Place
• Tentercroft Street
• Trollope Street
• Walnut Place
• Foster Street
• Princess Street
• Vernon Street
• Mill Lane
• Sibthorpe Street
• Prior Street
• Abbot Street
• Nelthorpe Street
• Pennell Street
• Sincil Bank
• Cross Street
• Thesiger Street
• Kirkby Street
• Hood Street
• Scorer Street
• Henry Street
• Sausthorpe Street
• Martin Street
• Grace Street
• St Andrews Street
• St Andrews Close
• Kingsway
• Linton Street
• Norris Street
• Arthur Street
• Hope Street
• Sewells Walk
• Smith Street
• Queen Street
• Knight Place
• Shakespeare Street
• Gibbeson Street
• Spencer Street
• Little Bargate Street
• Urban Street
• Ewart Street
• Francis Street
• Ellison Street
• Victoria Street
• Maple Street
• Elder Street
• Poplar Street
• Beech Street
• Boultham Avenue
• Peel Street
• Cranwell Street
• Robey Street
• St Botolphs Crescent
• Henley Street
• Tealby Street
• Bargate
• Sidney Street
• Craven Street
• Webb Street
• Coulson Road
• Waterloo Street