Call for changes to residential parking in capital

People moving into new developments would be excluded from receiving resident parking permits in an area of the Manx capital under proposals being put forward for political approval.

A petition by Andrea Krüger, which has more than 500 signatures, has also called for parking in disc zone H in upper Douglas to converted for use by residents only.

She said the zone was already "oversubscribed and regularly gridlocked" and raised concerns about the "additional strain" posed by a new 37-home development.

John Wannenburgh MHK is due to bring the document forward for debate at the January sitting of Tynwald.

Ms Krüger said the redevelopment of a former nurses home on Westmoreland Road by the Manx Development Corporation (MDC) "offers insufficient on-site parking provision".

A further scheme by the firm for 133 homes, which covers Westmoreland Road and Demesne Road, was approved by planners in February 2024.

She stated the petition was "not against new developments" but her proposals would improve "the parking situation" for existing homeowners in the area by preventing the increase of properties eligible for permits.

MDC and the Department of Infrastructure, who would be responsible for implementing the proposed changes, have been contacted by the BBC for a comment.

The current zone has time limits for free parking for non-residents between 08:00 and 18:00 GMT on weekdays, but those who live within the zone can apply apply for a permit.

The petitioner also said some UK towns, including Cambridge, restricted parking in residential areas near the town centre to residents parking only.

She said this encouraged commuters and visitors to travel by public transport and suggested "a few disc parking spaces could be provided in the area to cater for visitors".

The proposal could also be extended to other residential areas "facing similar problems on the island, thereby ensuring that residential areas near town centres remain diverse and attractive to their residents", she added.

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