I made an election pledge, that if I was elected to represent the residents of Pocklington Provincial on April 7th, I would carry out a parking review for Pocklington within one month by May 7th. As promised this is my parking review.

Introduction

Firstly, I would like to thank local residents and businesses for their assistance with this review. I appreciate that many would like to have a personal 24 hour parking space in the centre of Pocklington. As this is not possible, we must maximise not monopolise parking in Pocklington. My proposals will be in three parts:

• Short Term – Within 2 years
• Medium Term – 2 to 5 years
• Long Term – Over 5 years

Short Term

• Car Parks

West Green Car Park – Introduce a two-hour waiting time. Remove the “cycle path” to prevent accidents as the cycle path is not a cycle path.

Station Car Park – This needs to be available for 24 hours a day.

Rear Station Car Park – Permit access via a rear gate on Pocklington School premises. Safety will be enhanced by the use of barriers on Pocklington School land.

• One Way Streets

The following to be made one way streets

Cemetery Lane – From West Green to Sainsburys

London Street – From Percy Road to Beech Court

Percy Road – From Burnby Lane to Kilnwick Road

• New Parking Bays

Pavement – There is potential for an estimated ten new parking bays. The first few nearest the town centre should be for disabled drivers.

Cemetery Lane – Once this is made one way a two-hour parking can be introduced on the right hand side. Local residents should be given one all day parking permit per property. I estimate 20 new parking places can be created.

Robinson Close – The double yellow lines to the rear of Travis Perkins need to be removed and replaced with loading bays. This will allow trades people to pick up supplies and also liberate parking on Station Road for other road users.This will create an extra five new parking places.

Union Street – The area outside the new Pocklington Carpets shop and the neighbouring property needs to be remarked. I estimate this will create 5 new parking places.

Railway Street – The “keep clear” signs next to RM English Car Park needs to be partly removed. This will create one new parking place.

Arts Centre – The “keep clear” sign outside the Arts Centre needs to be removed. This will create one new parking place

Market Street – Two new parking places can be created here.

Regent Street – One new parking place can be created here.

The above will create an estimated extra 45 parking spaces.

• West Green Bus Stop

This needs to be removed as it creates an unacceptable traffic congestion on the main route into Pocklington for 20 crucial minutes each end of the day.

• Parking Bays

Currently ERYC have a policy of making parking bays 1.8m wide. Legislation states they must be 1.8m to 2.7m. As many vehicles cannot fit into a 1.8m parking bay, wherever possible, bays need to be made wider.

Market Street needs to have the delineation marks repainted as up to two parking spaces are regularly lost.

• MotorBikes

Wherever small parking bays, too small for a car, can be identified these should be made available for motorbike parking.

• Cyclists

A key tool to maximise parking bays is to encourage and support cyclists. There are up to three hundred cyclists visiting Pocklington on a Sunday alone.

With some cycles costing £5,000 security is fundamental. We need more cycle security points near to locations cyclists frequent.

• Pedestrian Safety

No parking review would be complete without giving consideration to pedestrian safety. Two new zebra crossings are required. One at the top of Percy Road at the junction with Kilnwick Road.

The other where the school children cross the road on London Street.

In addition, install a pelican crossing to replace the zebra crossing next to Pocklington School. Pocklington School are willing to enter into a funding agreement with ERYC to help finance the crossing.

Medium Term

• Park and Ride

We are all aware that Pocklington is growing. We cannot provide enough parking bays in Pocklington to meet the demand. As such we need to establish a Park and Ride on Pocklington Industrial estate.

• One Way System

We should consider a one way system for Pocklington Town Centre.

• New Roundabouts

As part of the one way system for Pocklington three new mini roundabouts should be introduced. The first at the junction of Chapmangate and George Street. The second at the Hallgate/Market Street crosssroads with Chapmangate.

The third to be at the tennis club junction with West Green. This will not only slow down fast moving traffic it will also permit Health Centre patients and staff, residents, tennis club members, cadets, and skate park users to emerge more safely onto West Green as well as helping Pocklington School to receive and service buses onto that area of the campus, beyond the tennis club, so helping reduce congestion at peak times.

Long Term

• Kilnwick Road

A new road should be built to connect the Burnby Lane/The Balk road with Kilnwick Road. This will relieve congestion in both the Burnby Lane area and around the schools on Kilnwick Road.

Polite Request

As an interim, as Pocklington School permits EYMS to use its premises as a bus shelter I would like to request that EYMS allows Pocklington School  to drop off and pick up pupils on their land.

Conclusion

Although I have consulted with residents, local businesses and Pocklington School I would make no claim that this review is definitive. If you believe I have missed an opportunity to improve parking in Pocklington please do not hesitate to contact me.

Some of the proposals mentioned will need to go to public consultation. I encourage everyone to be part of any consultation.

I will now discuss my parking review with ERYC officers.