Town Centre residents will have their car parking spaces reserved seven days a week as part of changes to the town’s Parking Zones to be implemented after the end of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
The Guildford Joint Committee – a collaboration between Guildford Borough and Surrey County Councillors – agreed to the proposals made in the Guildford On-Street Parking Review, which also increases the time periods for residential permit-only parking in Controlled Parking Zones A, B and D from 8.30am to 9pm each day.
The number of visitor ‘scratch card’ permits allocated to each household across the Controlled Parking Zone will be doubled to 60 per year, with the number of residents’ permits issued in Zone D increased by 10% to 316.
The Committee also agreed to 20 new Electric Vehicle Charging Points will also be installed on-street in Guildford town centre, at five locations to be decided by a public consultation. Additional charging points are also due to be installed within car parks in the next year.
Lead Councillor for the Environment, Cllr James Steel says:
“As well as increasing the availability of spaces for our residents, these changes will make some of the busiest roads in the borough safer and less congested, and protect access routes for emergency services. These decisions also support our Climate Change and Air Quality strategies, in reducing congestion, journey times and pollution, which are especially important on bus routes and where large vehicles use narrow roads.
“We continue to encourage fewer car journeys into our town centre and are working with Surrey County Council to provide alternative ‘active travel’ options through our programme to create new pedestrian and cycle lanes from the University of Surrey to the Royal Surrey County Hospital for rapid, reliable routes into town.”
He added: “Improving air quality in the borough is one of our highest priorities and I am delighted with the number of additional electric vehicle charging points, with even more set to be installed at other out-of-town locations in the next phase. This is another part of our strategy to reduce carbon emissions in the borough, alongside the nine electric buses in Guildford’s Park and Ride fleet – which is the largest fleet of electric buses outside London – and electric minibuses.”
The use of spaces within Zones A, B and D will be monitored and compared to data from before the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic to decide when these changes will be introduced through a Traffic Regulation Order under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.
Other roads in the borough which will become subject to residential permit restrictions are: Aldershot Road, Boxgrove Avenue, Harewood Road, Harpers Road, Hazel Avenue, Manor Road, Merrow Street, Newark Lane, New Road (Chilworth), Roundhill Way, Shere Lane, Stoughton Road, Stratford Road and Worplesdon Road. However, parts of Zone C, as well as King’s Road in Shalford, The Street in Tongham and The Street in West Horsley, will not be affected by these changes.
The 20 new Electric Vehicles Charging Points are expected to be installed at five locations in the next 12 months, following a period of consultation. The options under consideration are: Jenner Road, GU1 3PH; London Road, GU1 2AF; Millmead, GU2 4BE; Stoke Road, GU1 1EY; Wodeland Avenue, GU2 4YP; Pewley Hill, GU1 3SQ; Benbrick Road, GU2 7UD; Quarry Street, Guildford GU1 3UA.