New parking restrictions for Ross-on-Wye

Herefordshire Council is introducing a number of new parking measures in Ross-on-Wye aimed at freeing up the town and making it safer for motorists and pedestrians.

Under the Ross Parking Review loading bays in the town centre will be opened up for passing trade, maximum waiting times reduced to encourage more business and cluttered roads cleared to make it a safer environment.  

Contractors are now erecting signs and marking roads to spell out the new changes for drivers.

Parking attendants will continue to enforce parking restrictions in Ross-on-Wye including the new changes.

The changes have been introduced after months of detailed consultation with local organisations, traders, interested parties and residents.

“We are changing the parking restrictions in Ross-on-Wye to make it more flexible for the needs of businesses, shoppers and tourists as well as addressing the problem of known traffic hotspots,” said Cllr Brian Wilcox, Cabinet Member (Highways and Transportation). 

“These changes reflect the level of concern which has been expressed by all sectors of road users about the control of on-street parking in and around the town centre,” he added.

Major changes include permitting cars to use loading bays in High Street, Broad Street, Gloucester Road and Market Place up to a maximum of 15 minutes for loading and unloading of vehicles, and reducing the maximum waiting time in Broad Street and Gloucester Road from one hour to 30 minutes.

Both these measures are aimed at encouraging more trade.  

Parking will be prohibited at hotspots such as Ashburton Industrial Estate where cars clutter the road causing an obstruction to heavy goods vehicles.

In Smallbrook Road, a residential area where drivers park all day, there will be a mixture of residential, short stay and overnight parking.

Cllr Wilcox said: “These changes have been done after a wide and in-depth public consultation involving Ross Town Council, the chamber of commerce, residents and other interested parties.

“Part of that consultation involved publishing notices in the local press and placing public notices across Ross.”

A summary of the proposed changes to the current parking arrangements in the town are:

• Permitting cars to use loading bays that are presently allocated solely for goods vehicles for a maximum of 15 minutes.
• Swapping the position of the taxi rank and loading bay outside The Maltings in Broad Street so taxi users do not disembark into live traffic.
• Changes to the maximum waiting times in the limited waiting areas in the town, particularly Broad Street, Gloucester Road, Wilton Road and Old Maid’s Walk.
• Switching the positions of the loading bay and disabled parking bay in Gloucester Road in the vicinity of the NatWest bank to ease traffic congestion.
• Making the taxi rank in Gloucester Road an evening/night-time facility only and providing a limited waiting for other users during the day.
• Simplifying the restrictions for High Street, Market Place and upper Broad Street by prohibiting waiting and prohibiting loading during peak hours. The loading area adjacent to the Market House in High Street will be formalised and become a night-time taxi rank.
• The introduction of parking restrictions in Smallbrook Road to relieve traffic congestion.
• Prohibition of parking on the Ashburton Industrial Estate Road to improve road safety, traffic flow and address concerns regarding the overnight parking of lorries.
• Prohibition of parking at the junction of Merrivale Road and Alton Street to improve safety.
• Allowing resident parking permits to be used on a zonal basis rather than confined to specific streets to provide greater flexibility.  Also, allowing visitor permits (where appropriate) and increasing the charge of a single permit to £25 to harmonise the charges with similar schemes elsewhere in the County. 
• The provision of four hour parking in Wilton Road to provide a medium term facility for shoppers and visitors, and to prohibit waiting at the bend adjacent to the western junction of Wye Street to improve safety.
• Providing additional short-term parking in front of the entrance to the Royal Hotel in Royal Parade.
• Relaxing some of the lengths of prohibited waiting in Edde Cross Street between New Street and Kyrle Street, and adjacent to the Baptist Church to allow waiting during the evening and night-time periods.  Additional limited waiting is proposed in the vicinity of Morley Square.
• The limited waiting area in Old Gloucester Road adjacent to the frontage to the garage and telephone exchange to be replaced with prohibited waiting.