Milton Keynes residents win exclusive parking zone in war over spaces with commuters

Caldecotte residents live close to the business park

Residents in the Caldecotte part of Milton Keynes turned out in force to a meeting on Tuesday to support the creation of a controlled parking zone where they will have to pay £25 for permits.

Cllr Hossein Sadeghi, of Walton Community Council, said the parking situation was undermining the local community.

“It has been a problem for quite a number of years,” he said. “It’s affecting the community and this is the only option that is viable and available to us.

“People are thinking about house prices and some people are thinking of leaving the area. It is very sad and affecting the community.”

Some of around 30 residents told the Delegated Decisions meeting that inconsiderate commuter parking included people leaving their wheels on the pavements. They had even blocked fire engines, and buses, the meeting was told.

Steve Hayes, MK Council’s head of transport, said a majority of 36 formal objections had been received from employees of the business park.

The police had also objected, fearing that parkers could head for the grid roads instead. But he thinks this could be dealt with by painting double yellow lines on Brickhill Street and Caldecotte Lake Drive.

He added that any extension of the controlled parking zone would be a much quicker process in future as the case has already been made.

Cllr David Hopkins, (Cons, Danesborough & Walton) thanked residents for their “patience and forebearance”.

“We mustn’t stop here,” he added. “Never again must we build an industrial area and a residential area that are in such close proximity. We must learn from that mistake.”

Alan Francis, of the MK Green Party, called for a better bus services to get employees to and from the business park.

Cllr Martin Gowans, MK Council’s Cabinet member for transport and planning was applauded when he used his delegated decision making power to approve the plan, which will be confirmed if there are no formal objections.

Cllr Gowans added: “We have been working with residents, not just imposing on them.”

He added that the scheme would, in time, be enforced by number plate reading equipment, instead of relying on parking wardens walking around estates.