After an overwhelming majority of residents voted in favour of a new scheme the council has proposed a Traffic Regulation Order to restrict parking in Canning Street.

As a result of a recommendation made by Councillor Pete West at the Environment, Transport & Sustainability Cabinet members meeting in March, Brighton and Hove City Council is looking to amend the Controlled Parking Zones Consolidation Order 2008 to extend Zone H to Canning Street.

This will make the full length of the street resident-only parking everyday between 9am and 8pm, and will also put a one-way system, running from east to west, in place. A final decision by Brighton and Hove Transport Committee on approving the Traffic Regulation Order is due on 10th July.

A report of the meeting gives the reason for the recommendation as: “There is a positive opinion from the vast majority of respondents within Canning Street with sufficient public support for the proposed Area H extension, based on the new scheme boundary.”

According to this report, of the 67 consultation questionnaires issued to Canning Street addresses in January of this year, 34 were returned, giving a response rate of 51%. Of this, 30 (88%) voted in favour and 4 (12%) voted against.

Residents were informed during the consultation that permits will cost £108 per year, with discounts available for low emission vehicles. Canning Street resident Gail Findlay, who voted in favour of the scheme, said:

‘I must have paid at least £108 in parking fines, I park round the corner, forget I’ve left the car there and get a ticket.’ She said by eliminating the free parkers, many of whom come from the nearby Brighton College and Royal Sussex Hospital, the new scheme would make the situation much better for residents during the day.

Chrissy Lawson, who also voted for the extension of Zone H, said the one-way system would also have a positive impact on the street residents, she said:

‘Even though it’s going to be residents-only parking it’s still a very narrow road. If you’ve got cars or lorries coming down you’ve still got this problem of manoeuvring. If it’s one way then that would help a lot.’

But there have been concerns about the effectiveness of the new scheme. Canning Street resident Gareth Humphreys-Weinz said: “‘I’m against it, I’m not sure where all these cars are going to go, they’ll have to park in the next three streets which is just going to move the problem elsewhere.’ According to residents, the 2012 consultation follows two similar proposals, suggested in 2004 and 2010, which both failed to extend Zone H to Canning Street. In 2010 73% of voting occupants were in favour of change.

Objections to the Traffic Regulation Order, which had to be raised before 19th May, are currently being considered and the council has yet to publically release when, if approved, the new scheme can be expected to begin operation.