| QUESTIONS |
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| 1. |
INTRODUCTION |
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Following a consultation exercise in May/June 2008 proposed residents’ parking scheme in the first five areas in Belfast City Centre where rejected by the majority of residents, mainly due to the cost of the residents’ permit. It has now been decided to issue the residents’ and business permits free of charge. As a result of this and other changes to the proposal we are now re-consulting with the residents and businesses. |
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Q1. |
What is a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ)? |
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A CPZ is an area where all on-street parking is controlled. This means that parking is only permitted in designated parking areas or bays and that the remainder of kerbside space is subject to yellow line restrictions. |
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Only vehicles displaying a valid permit or ‘pay and display’ ticket can park during the hours the scheme is in operation. It aims to discourage long stay parking within residential streets. The CPZ will be signed to indicate where the scheme applies and while different areas have different needs, it will in general be considered where there is a significant parking problem in an area. |
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We will also consider schemes that have been suggested by the public or by their representatives. |
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We will consult with residents and businesses in the area to assess the level of interest in having a residents’ parking scheme introduced. A scheme will not be pursued unless at least 50% of the households/businesses reply to the consultation questionnaire and two thirds of those who respond must be in favour of a scheme being introduced. |
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Q2. |
Who will benefit? |
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Local residents, businesses and visitors to the area will benefit from a scheme. It will be easier to find a parking space and there will no longer be all day commuter parking. |
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Q3. |
Are there different types of permits? |
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Yes. Separate permits will be available for residents, visitors, businesses and carers as detailed below. |
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Q4. |
Once issued how long does a permit remain valid? |
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A residents or business permit remains valid for 12 months. Each visitor permit allows parking for up to one day. |
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| 2. |
RESIDENTS |
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Q5. |
Who will be entitled to receive a resident’s permit? |
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Initially, one resident’s permit may be issued per eligible residence, following which requests for additional permits will be assessed on the basis of available parking space. |
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Q6. |
Will my residence qualify for a permit? |
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A "residence" is considered to be a domestic or non-domestic property listed in the Valuation and Lands Agency valuation list. |
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Residences having access to off-street parking will not be eligible for an initial permit, but will be eligible for visitors’ permits. They may also be considered as being eligible for inclusion in a second or subsequent release of permits. |
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Q7. |
Is there a maximum number of permits that will be approved for issue in a particular area? |
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Yes. The maximum number of permits approved for issue will be dictated by the number of spaces available for permit parking in the area. |
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| 3. |
VISITORS |
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Q8. |
Will visitors be able to park in the area? |
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Yes. Visitors will be able to park within areas provided a valid visitor’s permit is displayed on the vehicle or they have purchased and displayed a pay and display ticket in a mixed use area. |
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Q9. |
How many visitors’ permits will I be allowed? |
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A maximum of 20 daily visitors' permits may be issued per residence/business per year. Residents over 65 years of age will be entitled to double this allocation. |
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| 4. |
BUSINESSES |
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Q10. |
Will vehicles used in conjunction with a business within the area of the scheme be able to park in the area? |
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Yes, but subject to the display of a business or visitor permit or a valid pay and display ticket in a mixed use area. The issue of business permits is similar to residents’ permits, ie initially one permit per business. |
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| 5. |
CARERS |
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Q11. |
Will doctors, nurses, health visitors, occupational therapists and home helps be allowed to park? |
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Yes, providing a valid permit is displayed on the vehicle. Permits for this group will be free of charge. |
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| 6. |
Blue Badge Holders |
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Q12. |
Will Blue Badge holders be able to park in residents’ parking areas? |
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Yes. However, if an area within the scheme is for residents only, the Blue Badge holder will need to be possession of either a valid resident’s or visitor’s permit. Where a scheme is of mixed use, that is, a combination of residents’ parking and pay and display (or other form of limited waiting) the Blue Badge holder will be able to park for up to three hours and only have to display their badge. Beyond the three hours, however, a valid visitors or residents’ permit will be required. Also residents whose vehicle is the main transport for a non-driving Blue Badge holder who lives in the same residence will be eligible for a permit. A residents’ permit will need to be displayed in the parked vehicle in these cases. |
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Q13. |
Will the scheme have any effect on the existing disabled parking bays within my Street? |
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No. Existing on-street disabled parking bays will be retained within the scheme if still needed. The regulations requiring the display of a Blue Badge and residents or visitors permit is the same as outlined in Question 12 above.
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| 7. |
DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED TO OBTAIN A PERMIT |
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Q14. |
Will proof of residency be required? |
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Yes. An application for a resident’s or visitor’s permit will require one of the following current documents as proof of residency: |
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a Northern Ireland or Great Britain full driving licence or a Northern Ireland provisional licence, each bearing the photograph of the holder; or |
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a Passport; or |
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a Senior Citizen’s Smart Pass issued under the Northern Ireland Concessionary Fares Scheme; or |
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an Electoral Identity Card. |
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If none of the above indicate residency matching that of the application, further proof in the name of the applicant shall be required in the form of a: |
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current rent book; or |
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utility or rates bill issued within the last six months. |
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Q15 |
Will proof of vehicle ownership be required? |
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Yes. For the purpose of residents’ parking schemes, a “vehicle owner” is the person by whom the vehicle is kept and used and need not be the registered keeper. Proof of “ownership” by the applicant shall be required in the form of the following: - |
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the Registration Document; |
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a copy of the purchase / bill of sale; |
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a copy of the car insurance documentation; |
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a copy of a hiring / leasing agreement, together with a letter from the employer where appropriate; or |
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for company owned vehicles, a typed letter on headed notepaper & signed by the Company Secretary confirming that the vehicle is made available to the resident for personal use. |
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| 8. |
COST |
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Q16. |
How much will permits cost? |
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Residents and business permits will be available free of charge. Residents and businesses can obtain a maximum of 20 free visitor permits per year. Visitors may also purchase and display a parking ticket if parked in a ‘mixed use’ area. A maximum of either 1, 2 or 4 hours parking can be purchased, depending on the particular location |
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Q17. |
Why will I have to pay to park close to my home? |
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1.Each scheme will, as far as is possible, give residents a much improved opportunity to park in their street. However, you must remember that there is no automatic entitlement to park ‘at your door’ and any scheme will only deliver the anticipated benefits to residents and businesses if it is properly designed and enforced.
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| 9. |
ENFORCEMENT |
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Q18. |
Who will enforce violations of the scheme? |
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This will be the responsibility of Traffic Attendants working for Roads Service. |
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Q19. |
What will be the penalty for violating residents’ parking scheme controls? |
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1.The penalty for violating residents’ parking scheme controls will be a fine of £60 (reduced to £30 if paid within 14 days), which is the same as the penalty for all other parking violations. |
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| 10. |
GENERAL |
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Q20. |
What happens if I lose my permit? |
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One replacement permit may be issued at a cost of £6 to cover administrative costs. |
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Q21. |
What happens if I move out of the area? |
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You should return the permit to Roads Service. The return address will be printed on the back of the permit. |
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Q22. |
Can permits issued for use in one residents’ parking area be used in another? |
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No. With the exception some carers’ permits, permits will be specific to the area for which they are initially issued and cannot be used elsewhere. |
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Q23. |
Will residents have the right to park on the street? |
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Yes, provided that a valid permit is properly displayed on the vehicle. However, it is not possible to guarantee a parking space. No residents’ parking scheme that we know of within the British Isles does this. But, provided the scheme is operated properly, it will significantly reduce the amount of commuter parking in the zone, making it much easier for you to find a parking space |
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Q24. |
Will I be able to park outside my house? |
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Not necessarily, there will not be any specific spaces allocated to individual residences or businesses. However prohibiting long stay parking by non-residents should make this easier. |
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Q25. |
Will people from outside my area be able to park on my street? |
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It depends. In the schemes, under consideration the following is proposed: |
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Permit only parking areas. These are normally shared surface areas where there are no footways. Only vehicles displaying a valid permit can park in these areas during the hours of operation. Other than those parking with visitor permits no other people from outside the area can park here. |
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Mixed use areas. These are normally traditional streets with footways. Vehicles displaying a valid permit OR a valid ‘pay and display’ ticket can park in these areas. |
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Q26. |
Where can I get more information? |
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More information on the proposed scheme can be obtained by: |
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Phoning: 02890 607200 |
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e-mailing: info@residentsparking.com ;or |
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writing to:
Residents Parking Team
Faber Maunsell Limited
24 Linenhall Street
Belfast
BT2 8BG |
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Q27. |
What types of vehicle will be allowed to park? |
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Only the following types of vehicle will be allowed to park within a permit parking zone: |
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motor car; |
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motor cycle; |
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light goods vehicle not exceeding 3,500 kg; |
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vehicle actively engaged in loading or unloading; |
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vehicle actively used by essential services |
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