Winchester City Council seeks views on parking and access strategy
There is still time to comment on proposals by Winchester City Council which try to reduce reliance on the car across the district over the next decade, while continuing to ensure that city, town and village centres remain healthy and vibrant.
The draft Parking & Access Strategy sets out policies that incentivise the use of more eco-friendly travel such as walking, cycling and buses. It would encourage the provision of cycle parking and support the use of electric vehicles. The plan also promotes alternatives to parking in Winchester city centre, for example through an increase in Park & Ride sites and improved public transport.
In Winchester, new parking charges are outlined to encourage people to park outside the one-way system to reduce congestion - and to support alternative travel options, including the use of low emission vehicles. As numbers of car parking spaces in Winchester City Centre reduce due to regeneration work, investment is proposed to upgrade car parks for example, introducing contactless payment technology.
The draft plan takes a view across the district and promotes parking and access plans for Whiteley, New Alresford, Wickham, Bishop’s Waltham and Denmead. These plans tailored to local requirements, will be progressed in consultation with town and parish councils, alongside local residents.
Blue Badge parking will not change and the council will review whether additional disabled parking provision is needed.
Councillor Martin Tod, Cabinet Lead for Service Quality and Transformation, said:
“We want people to easily access Winchester and the district’s market towns, but we want to to make it easier to use more environmentally-friendly ways to do this. These proposals are designed to cut congestion and promote greener travel.”
“This is a pragmatic and sensible approach which will keep people travelling into our centres, but in different ways. The aim is to balance the needs of our towns and villages with the pressing need to cut carbon emissions and improve air quality.”
The Parking & Access Strategy forms part of Winchester City Council's plans to become carbon neutral by 2024 and for the district to be carbon neutral by 2030.
People can comment on the Parking & Access Strategy until 6 Feb 2020 here: https://winchester.citizenspace.com/major-projects/parking-strategy-2020/