Given the significant pressure placed on parking, the County Council receives many letters and emails expressing concern over the levels of, and the way people park. The issues of dangerous or obstructive parking and speeding need to be raised in the first instance with the Police, either via the 101 non-emergency number or the website - https://www.cambs.police.uk/contact/af/contact-us-beta/contact-us/driving-vehicles-traffic/report-illegal-parking/.

Inconsiderate parking is a problem that can affect all road users, and whilst the Highway Authority (the County Council) is able to implement parking restrictions there is still a certain level of responsibility placed at the drivers to think before they park. However, if considerate parking cannot be achieved voluntarily, the only option would be to introduce formal parking restrictions. Implementing parking restrictions requires the making of a legal order, which involves a statutory consultation process that requires the Highway Authority to advertise, in the local press and on-street, a public notice stating the proposal and the reasons for it. The advert invites the public to formally support or object to the proposals in writing within a 21-day notice period.  Should any objections be received then a report would go before Members for decision. 

Understandably we receive many requests from residents for various traffic orders, unfortunately the cost of funding all the requests for improvements to the county road network always exceed the budgets that the County Council can allocate for this work. Therefore, priorities must be set by councillors which means that we are unable to deliver many of the measures being requested. However, the County Council recognises that third parties may be able to fund some of these requests and our third-party funding policy aims to encourage investment in highway measures by others.

One possibility is the Local Highway Improvement (LHI) scheme which gives local people around Cambridgeshire an opportunity to bid for County Council money for highways projects which will improve their community. Applicants can apply for funding of up to either £25,000 for complex projects or £10,000 for non-complex projects, as a contribution to their scheme. The applicant is expected to provide a minimum contribution of 10% towards the total scheme cost. It would be advisable to contact the local Members for Romsey (Councillor Darren Green) or Abbey (Councillor Elliot Tong) about any potential application.

Further details on the local highway improvement initiative can be found on the Council’s website - https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/travel-roads-and-parking/roads-and-pathways/improving-the-local-highway/local-highway-improvement-funding.