News / parking
Heated debate about residents parking
Claims, counter-claims and accusations flew across the Bristol City Council chambers on Tuesday evening, during a heated debate about the controversial Residents Parking Scheme (RPS).
The full council debate was triggered by a petition against RPS organised by campaigner Mark Moran, who said he had launched a crowd funding campaign to fund a legal battle to challenge RPS.
Opponents to the plans had their chance to put their views to the Mayor George Ferguson and city councillors after the petition, calling for RPS to be scrapped, gained more than 3,500 signatures.
However, the meeting itself could not reverse residents parking schemes, that decision can only be taken by the mayor.
Ferguson said that he had to take “brave decisions” and RPS is “part of a much bigger strategy and it is not just about parking but about making a cleaner, healthier city”.
Clifton councillor Charles Lucas backed the mayor’s position. He said: “The silent majority of my constituents are in favour and something had to be done in Clifton.”
Others disagreed, including Lawrence Hill councillor Hibaq Jama who said everyone she spoke to in her ward “seems to be suffering the consequences of an ill-thought out scheme”.
The Labour member said: “What do you say to the businesses in Lawrence Hill who, over the six months that the scheme has been implemented, have reported losses of £130,000 in one of the country’s poorest wards.”
In reply, Ferguson said he was investing in public transport, that he was listening and would be “sensitive to improvements and adjustments” to the scheme as reviews to RPS arose.
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