Council decides on parking restrictions – for a second time

Almost five years after details of parking restrictions in East Wichel were first made public, over three years since the first decision to implement restrictions was confirmed, and over one year since the last round of consultation started, local councillors on Monday announced that Swindon Borough Council has again decided to enforce parking restrictions.

The planned restrictions are identical to those announced over a year ago, so despite all the letters and Facebook posts from councillors, claiming 60 additional spaces across East Wichel, that’s not 60 extra spaces that we hadn’t known of before, but the 60 spaces we were told about last February. Although much work is said to have been done by council officers during the last year to find extra spaces, it has, apparently, come to nothing.

As the council now need to formally advertise the restrictions, paint the additional parking bays on the road, and add parking restriction signs in the mews areas, it will take some time before the restrictions actually come into force. The council has not yet given a date from which the restrictions will be enforced, nor indicated whether the restrictions will be phased in or fully enforced from day one.

Councillors of both main parties have expressed hopes that, once the roads and public spaces have been adopted, there may be scope to squeeze in more parking spaces. Until adoption happens, the roads and public spaces remain the property of Taylor Wimpey who appear unwilling to make any changes, such as adding extra lay-bys in places where wide footpaths could be narrowed.