City adds restricted parking bays despite assurances to residents

Nicholas Thomas, Local Democracy Reporter

Residents of a south Wales street were mistakenly told new electric vehicle charging bays would be installed without restricted marked parking spaces.

Cllr Andrew Sterry said people living in Milner Street, Newport had been given “clear written assurance” the new bays would not be marked out – leaving drivers free to park in the spaces.

“Despite those assurances, white marked bays have now been installed,” he said. “This raises serious concerns about public confidence in the council’s consultation process.

“Residents are entitled to expect that commitments made during consultation will either be honoured or, if circumstances change, that they will be informed and consulted before a materially different scheme is implemented.”

Cllr Rhian Howells, the cabinet member for infrastructure, said the council apologised for the mix-up she blamed on a “communication error”.

“The council accepts that the final scheme differed from what had originally been advised, and that this should have been communicated more clearly, but the final safety advice is that the marked bays need to stay.”

Cllr Howells added the local authority had gone on to follow the traffic regulation order procedure “indicating the correct intention to include markings”, which included another round of public consultation.

Following the cabinet member’s response, Lliswerry ward councillor Sterry said he had wider concerns about the “integrity” of the consultation process, adding engagement with the public should be “meaningful”.

“The council’s final position is that the markings must remain because of safety advice – I accept that this is now their position and I don’t intend to keep pursuing the same issue when they have made it clear they will not reverse the decision,” he said.

“However, I remain disappointed with how this was handled. Residents participated in the consultation in good faith.

“If the council subsequently decided that what had originally been agreed could no longer be delivered, residents and their ward councillors should have been clearly informed and the reasons explained.”

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