New resident parking zones proposed for parts of Portsmouth
Portsmouth council will consider expanding resident parking zones across the city
New resident parking zones (RPZs) could be introduced across Portsmouth, with Baffins residents divided over whether permits would ease pressures.
Portsmouth City Council will next week consider progressing plans for new permit-controlled parking areas in parts of the city.
Residents living within an RPZ pay for permits to park on the street, with costs rising for households with multiple vehicles.
Supporters say the schemes help manage parking demand and discourage households from keeping large numbers of cars, while critics argue they place an extra financial burden on residents and do little to solve the underlying shortage of spaces.
Local resident Tony Campbell said parking in the area is “really bad”. He warned that if you get home at around 6pm you “struggle” to find a space and by 9pm or 10pm there is “not a chance”.
He said people regularly park on corners and in front of garages, adding: “The traffic warden used to come round but he doesn’t bother any more”.
Mr Campbell said he has sometimes had to park three or four roads away from home and often sees motorists driving “round and round” looking for a space.
He argued permits “won’t make any difference” because of the sheer number of vehicles in Baffins and believes households with several cars will simply absorb the additional cost.
Steve Humby, of Stephen Humby Butchers on Tangier Road, described the situation as “ridiculously stupid”.
He said that when he starts work at 4am or 5am, “there is never anywhere to park whatsoever, no matter what road you go down.”
However, he backed resident permits, saying that when an RPZ was introduced where he lives in Fratton, the area had “absolutely changed” and “we don’t have to worry when we get home”.
Serena Osborn, manager of Beenys Coffee, said: “We’ve had so many problems with parking, we have a garage with a parking spot in front, you can guarantee somebody will park there when we come home.
“The traffic wardens have a field day around here because everyone parks on yellow lines because some of the households have four cars.
“I think it probably will help, if you’ve got four cars to one house they all need a permit so maybe that will cut down the number of cars that people have got for their homes.”
The council said car ownership in Portsmouth has risen significantly in recent years, with around 17,000 more cars registered in the city at the end of 2021 than there were a decade earlier.
Council papers note that cars are stationary around 96 per cent of the time, with 73 per cent of that time spent parked at home.
The authority said that while RPZs can improve parking conditions, they “will not resolve all pressures”.
Under the proposed programme Baffins, covering the area west of Eastern Road, has been identified as the first location for an informal consultation on a new RPZ.
Areas south of Stubbington Avenue, south of Alexandra Park and east of Gladys Avenue, and the eastern part of Charles Dickens ward have also been identified as priorities for future RPZs.