Dear Greenhithe Resident
Parking is an emotive issue and whilst we acknowledge this and the effectiveness of the Marina Madness campaign run by the Greenhithe Community Group, it is clear that those inexplicably expressed fears, however understandable, are in fact incomprehensible and no longer justifiable in planning terms.
Most Greenhithe residents’ now live within a Residents’ Parking Zone (RPZ) Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) which allow anyone who lives in the zone to apply for a permit. Dartford Borough Council cannot refuse to issue a parking permit to a genuine resident in the zone.
To ensure that Greenhithe Residents remain a priority of the RPZ, and that the marina development, if allowed, will not worsen or add to any existing on-street parking problems, the developer is proposing that marina staff and users (including berth holders, members and visitors) not be allowed to apply for a residents parking permit, with the only exception being if they reside in a property without off road parking such as those on the High Street.
This can be secured by a planning condition placed on the granting of permission along the following lines:-
“Before the development hereby permitted begins [or is occupied] arrangements shall be agreed in writing with the local planning authority and be put in place to ensure that, with the exception of disabled persons, no berth holder / employee of the marina development (unless entitled to do so as a Greenhithe resident) shall obtain a resident’s parking permit within any controlled parking zone which may be in force in the Greenhithe area at any time”.
Greenhithe Marina (Management) LLP
Parking is an emotive issue and whilst we acknowledge this and the effectiveness of the Marina Madness campaign run by the Greenhithe Community Group, it is clear that those inexplicably expressed fears, however understandable, are in fact incomprehensible and no longer justifiable in planning terms.
Most Greenhithe residents’ now live within a Residents’ Parking Zone (RPZ) Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) which allow anyone who lives in the zone to apply for a permit. Dartford Borough Council cannot refuse to issue a parking permit to a genuine resident in the zone.
To ensure that Greenhithe Residents remain a priority of the RPZ, and that the marina development, if allowed, will not worsen or add to any existing on-street parking problems, the developer is proposing that marina staff and users (including berth holders, members and visitors) not be allowed to apply for a residents parking permit, with the only exception being if they reside in a property without off road parking such as those on the High Street.
This can be secured by a planning condition placed on the granting of permission along the following lines:-
“Before the development hereby permitted begins [or is occupied] arrangements shall be agreed in writing with the local planning authority and be put in place to ensure that, with the exception of disabled persons, no berth holder / employee of the marina development (unless entitled to do so as a Greenhithe resident) shall obtain a resident’s parking permit within any controlled parking zone which may be in force in the Greenhithe area at any time”.
Greenhithe Marina (Management) LLP
Thanks for this reply but you'll have to forgive us for not sharing your views on how wonderful the Councils on-street-parking controls are. Everyday our members living on the High Street and Pier Road suffer from the blight of commuter parking during the day and then at night from customers visiting the Pier Hotel PH.
ReplyDeleteOur members take the view that: The proposed development would be lacking in dedicated off-street parking and servicing facilities and would be likely to give rise to conflict between vehicular traffic and pedestrians created by the need to load and unload on the highway. As such, it would not be appropriately related to the highway network. The use of public car parking by Marina users would reduce the availability of public car parking for the general enjoyment of the area. Taking into account the location of the Marina in a compact historic environment, the absence of dedicated off-street parking and servicing facilities would give rise to unacceptable levels of vehicular and pedestrian activity on-street and in close proximity to other dwellings and uses, which would be out of character with the quality and general residential amenities of the Greenhithe Conservation Area, contrary to Policies T23, B1 and B8 of the Adopted Dartford Local Plan 1995 and Policies DD11 and T11 of the Dartford Local Plan Review Second Deposit Draft 2002.
The Greenhithe Community Group
@the Greenhithe Community Group: We note the improvement in the tone of your remarks above thank you.
DeleteHowever, we are at a loss as to why you are still scaremongering residents into thinking that marina parking is an issue when clearly it is not the genie in the bottle you would have everyone believe ...? Regular readers of this blog will be aware of the inspectors decision to award the developer partial costs for the unreasonable behaviour resulting in unnecessary expense, as described in Circular 03/2009, that took place. …IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Dartford Borough Council shall pay to Greenhithe Marina (Management) LLP the costs of the appeal proceedings described in the heading of this decision limited to those costs incurred in respect of Ground 04 of the decision notice dated 24 December 2010. Which for clarity is what you have cited above. We understand your reluctance to accept the developers analysis, many of our members shared those same views, however, it’s important to move on and we (GMRA) trust that you (TGCG) will now be able accept the Inspectors conclusions that: “…whilst local knowledge is important it was not translated into an adequate justification for the stance taken especially in the light of Planning Policy Guidance Note 13: Transport. Indeed, no reasonable planning grounds were shown for imposing the fourth reason for refusal in addition to the three advised by officers”.
GREENHITHE MARINA COSTS DECISION http://thegmrablog.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/greenhithe-marina-costs-decision.html