'Botched' parking permit scheme cost taxpayer £600k

A Freedom of Information request revealed the total cost breakdown of the scheme

Almost £600,000 has been spent so far on a "botched" rollout of residential parking restrictions.

Gloucestershire County Council's implementation of the Zone 15 parking permit scheme in Cheltenham was so bad council chiefs issued a "sincere apology" in 2023.

However, the authority said changes had since been made following "extensive public engagement" and the new and improved scheme went live on Monday.

Residents have openly criticised the substantial cost to taxpayers but council leader Stephen Davies said there was "a price tag to doing the right thing".

The permit scheme aimed to make it easier for residents to park outside their homes

The Zone 15 scheme, which was launched in December 2023 and covers the All Saints area, was set up to discourage commuters from parking in residential areas.

However, disgruntled residents were soon "up in arms" over the contentious operating hours and a lack of clarity over the signage.

Cheltenham Borough Councillor Julian Tooke said the "botched scheme" was the result of not implementing an experimental traffic regulation order to test its viability.

Cost breakdown

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request revealed the total cost of planning, consulting and implementing the scheme came to almost £595,000 as of 19 February this year.

The breakdown - which includes the cost of consultants, third parties and direct costs to the authority - shows the Atkins project cost £136,947.

About £124,796 was spent on design consultants and £12,151 on printing and posting of materials.

The review of the Zone 15 scheme cost £99,903 while the project set up, inception and ongoing management had cost £2,440.

The community engagement and consultation cost £78,878 and site investigations, preliminary designs and review cost £18,585.

The work to install the signage and paint the road markings came to £121,284 alone.

The council was forced to review the scheme to improve signage, operating hours and accessibility

Town resident Michael Bloxham, who submitted the FOI request, said some of the signs which had been installed were still wrong, such as the one in Pittville Circus.

"The final bill will be heading towards a million pounds on an ill-conceived and generally unwanted scheme," he said.

"Who at Gloucestershire County Council will be held accountable for this squandering of public money in times of austerity?"

Davies said: "The Zone 15 parking zone covers a large area with many localised issues and competing priorities for parking and road space.

"The council has undertaken a review to see how the zone can be improved to ensure that the resident parking scheme meets the needs of the majority of residents and businesses in the area, with rules that are clear and understandable to all motorists.

"Following the initial plan we have reviewed processes but it is important that we have responded to public concerns and there is a price tag to doing the right thing."