West Bridgford: Council launches survey into on-street parking in town

Nottinghamshire County Council is urging residents to have their say on the situation

A council has urged residents to give their views on parking in a Nottinghamshire town after "several issues" were identified.

Nottinghamshire County Council said a study of on-street parking in West Bridgford highlighted "several issues".

These included vehicles parked for several hours without moving in free, unlimited, spaces, and off-street car parks often being close to capacity.

The authority now wants to hear from people about the issues they face.

It is hoped its consultation - launched on Monday - will lead to a "considerable increase" in the number of spaces and reduce congestion from motorists looking to park.

'Key retail centre'

The earlier study - which was commissioned by the council in the summer - found converting existing free and unlimited spaces, which are a five-minute walk from the town centre, into two-hour bays could result in creating more than 1,900 extra parking "slots" over a 12-hour period.

It also said parking opportunities could be increased by converting 260 "underused" residents' spaces - combined with increased turnover from existing limited waiting spaces.

Councillor Neil Clarke, cabinet member for transport and environment, said West Bridgford was a "key retail centre" and hosted the "sporting quarter" of Nottinghamshire - with Nottingham Forest, Notts County, Nottingham Rugby, Trent Bridge Cricket Ground and Holme Pierrepont all nearby.

"It goes without saying that the volume of vehicles coming into West Bridgford increases significantly when these venues are hosting sporting fixtures or major events, and it is important that we work to reduce the impact this has on the town centre and meet the needs of all users," he said.

"At this stage, we're seeking views on the current level of parking availability to see if people agree with our assessment of the issues in West Bridgford - and whether they would support suggestions for changes. We would also like to hear of alternative solutions."

The consultation will run until 22 January.