More resident parking zones approved as Drayton and Farlington miss out

Portsmouth is pressing ahead with plans for more resident parking zones despite criticism that Drayton and Farlington have been left out.

Portsmouth City Council has approved the next phase of its resident parking zone (RPZ) programme for parts of Baffins, Charles Dickens and Hilsea and Copnor wards.

Residents living in an RPZ pay an annual fee to park on the street, with charges increasing for households with multiple vehicles.

The council says the schemes help manage parking pressure as car ownership in Portsmouth has increased by around 17,000 vehicles over the past decade.

Under the programme, Baffins, west of Eastern Road, has been identified for the first informal consultation. Areas south of Stubbington Avenue, south of Alexandra Park, east of Gladys Avenue and the eastern part of Charles Dickens ward have also been earmarked for future RPZs.

Baffins councillor Darren Sanders said parking had been one of the issues residents had raised with him most frequently since he was elected.

He added that opinion on RPZs in the ward is divided.

“Many want permits very badly, others either see them as infringing their freedom to have as many cars as they like and park them where they want or see them as another tax when they pay loads of tax already,” he said.

Councillor Simon Bosher, ward member for Drayton and Farlington and leader of the Conservative group, questioned why the Nutbourne Road area was not included in the programme.

He said ward councillors surveyed residents in the middle of last year and that 71 per cent of respondents supported an RPZ. He added that officers had indicated the area would be included, only for councillors to be told the day before the decision meeting that it would not.

He said he now had to tell residents the scheme was unlikely to be introduced “for a number of years”.

He added he has “no trust in the process” and asked whether the administration was prioritising Baffins, a Liberal Democrat ward, over Conservative held Drayton and Farlington.

Cllr Lee Tindall, Reform UK member for Copnor, echoed Cllr Bosher’s concerns, saying he had been told his preferred RPZ would be considered this year, only for it not to appear in the report.

In response, Councillor Peter Candlish said Baffins had been prioritised because safety and parking concerns were “most acute” there.

“There are other wards, including Lib Dem ones, which would like to be having activity sooner which are not in the programme.”

He acknowledged concerns over communication and said they would be addressed. He also noted there is scope for additional schemes to be added each year, rather than waiting until the current programme is due to finish in 2031.

Areas being considered for a resident parking zone first undergo an informal consultation, asking residents about parking problems and whether they support an RPZ. If support is shown, a formal consultation follows through the Traffic Regulation Order process.

The full consultation, approval, implementation and permit issuing typically takes around 18 months.