Parking restrictions for Oswestry street 'not a high priority', town councillors told

Last November, town councillors agreed for the clerk to contact Shropshire Council asking for 'no waiting any time' restrictions to be put in place on both sides of Ambleside Road from its junction with Middleton Road for a distance of 10 metres in a northerly direction.

It came after Councillor James Owen said that, following a survey of 41 properties, 85 per cent of people who responded wanted some changes to address the parking problems, with the most popular (69 per cent) being a resident permit scheme.

Councillor Owen said there have been various incidents of non-residents parking along the road, using it to go into work or town.

However, Andy Wilde, assistant director for infrastructure at Shropshire Council, said his team sees no immediate issue.

“The existing double yellow lines are to the back of the footway, but 10 metres might be a bit much,” said Mr Wilde.

“We will require a site visit. We can add to our priority list, but with current other priorities and limited funding, this will not be a high priority at this time and may take some time to deliver.”

Mr Wilde added that the authority will also look at reviewing a current Traffic Order, which includes a loading bay in Beatrice Street. However, he said that, before considering any change moving forwards, there needs to be a wider level of support.

Mr Wilde was also asked if phase four (Oswestry) of the Shropshire Council Parking Strategy Framework (Part 2 Residents Parking Policy) could be expediated following concerns about parking during business hours.

“The work required for new zones is disproportionate to that for a tariff change,” said Mr Wilde.

“Together, with the reducing staffing levels within parking services, it has not been possible to meet this level of coordination. Initial investigation of road layouts in Oswestry have been carried out, but progress is not expected until earlier phases are complete.”

Oswestry Town Council will discuss the responses at a meeting today (January 15).