Parking restrictions to be lifted to allow residents to charge electric cars

PARKING restrictions are set to be lifted on Warrington car park so local residents who own hybrid or electric cars can charge their vehicles overnight.

Currently, the Lexden Street car park next to Whitecross Community centre, has a parking provision for 44 vehicles and is currently free to use with the addition of a maximum stay of 4 hours/7 days per week.

The 4 hours maximum stay was introduced as the car park was regularly reaching capacity throughout the day due to Hospital staff/residents/visitors parking to avoid having to send details to obtain a residential/visitor permit or in the case of hospital staff to avoid car park staff fees.

Recently the council, in partnership with an Electric Vehicle charge point supplier, has commenced the installation of on-street EV charge points within residential areas of the borough. As part of this project, Lexden Street car park has been chosen as a preferred location for the installation of 3 dedicated Electric Vehicle bays. It is proposed that local residents and users of Whitecross community Centre can utilise the bays for charging Electric/Hybrid vehicles.

Although the EV charge points would be available at all times, the car park restricts maximum stay to 4 hours. To ensure residents would be able to conveniently charge their vehicles overnight, it is proposed that the Maximum Stay is removed between the hours of 20:00hrs and 06:00hrs the following day.

WARRINGTON BOROUGH COUNCIL
ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984
THE BOROUGH OF WARRINGTON (OFF-STREET PARKING PLACES) (CIVIL ENFORCEMENT) CONSOLIDATION (AMENDMENT NO. 5) ORDER 2022
Notice is hereby given that the Council proposes to make an Order under Sections 1, 2, 4 and Part IV of Schedule 9 to the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and of all other enabling powers. The effect of the Order will be as follows: –
1. The Borough of Warrington (Off-Street Parking Places) (Civil Enforcement) Consolidation Order 2018, is hereby further varied or amended as follows: –
(a) By the addition of the following definitions:
“Electric Car Club Vehicle” means an Electric Vehicle for shared rental use contracted by the Council, to promote sustainable cost effective transport as an alternative to owning a car;
“Electric Car Club Vehicle Parking Bay” means a Parking Bay exclusively for the use of Electric Car Club Vehicles;
(b) By the addition of a new Article 9 (bb) and the following entry thereunder:
9. (bb) The Council may reserve in any of the Parking Places affected by this Order a number of Electric Car Club Vehicle Parking Bays for Electric Car Club Vehicles, where no person shall except with the permission of or under the direction of a person duly authorised by the Council cause or permit any Motor Vehicle to park in any of the Electric Car Club Vehicle Parking Bays unless the Motor Vehicle is an Electric Car Club Vehicle.
(c) By the addition of a new Article 9 (bbb) and the following entry thereunder:
9. (bbb) The Electric Car Club Vehicle scheme will be operated by a Contractor chosen by the Council.
(d) Article 9 (c) is deleted and replaced by the following:
9. (c) The Council may install and maintain in proper working order Electric Vehicle charging posts as it thinks fit in the vicinity of an Electric Vehicle Parking Bay or an Electric Car Club Vehicle Parking Bay.
2. The Borough of Warrington (Off-Street Parking Places) (Civil Enforcement) Consolidation (Amendment No. 2) Order 2019, is hereby further varied or amended as follows: –
(a) The Schedule Article (b) in so far as it relates to Lexden Street Car Park and the “Maximum period of stay/period of no return” is amended to the following:
Maximum period of stay is 4 hours, no return within 2 hours, between the hours of 6am and 8pm only.
Deposited documents may be viewed on-line at https://www.warrington.gov.uk/permanent-traffic-regulation-orders or Town Hall Reception, Town Hall, Sankey Street, Warrington, WA1 1UH between 9am & 5pm, Monday to Friday.
All representations both in support or objecting to the proposals must be in writing either by post to Rebecca Lee of Legal Services or delivered by hand to the address above or emailed to [email protected] by 31st March 2022 and all objections must specify the grounds on which they are made. Please note that all representations received may be considered in public by the Council and that the substance of any representation together with the name and address of the person making it could become available for public inspection.
Dated: 10th March 2022