Parking

Summary

It is envisaged that over time, the research and understanding undertaken by the Parking Pilot Project Group can be used to develop parking solutions across the Village and perhaps provide the basis of a wider on-street parking strategy. The Central Area of the Village (Alexandra Road, Armstrong Road, Albert Road, South Road and Harvest Road - the project area) has a history of particularly high parking stress which is why it was chosen for further research. The Group's key findings in the Central Area are:

• Confirming the work commissioned by RBC for independently (Project Centre Ltd - PCL) measured levels of parking stress % in the project area continually exceeding 100%, ranging from c. 135-105% in and out of term-times.

  • Disagreeing with PCL's conclusions for the project area specifically, which were used in the design of RBC's SPD Guidance adopted in 2022.

  • It can be definitively stated from PCL's measurement data and methodology, combined with other key RBC Planning considerations and temporal analysis, that by far the largest contribution to the excessive parking stress in the area is caused by additional vehicles that are bought into the project area during RHUL term-time and parked there overnight by resident students. Commuters and visitors are minor contributors.

  • There are 2000+ students residing in RHUL and privately operated halls within a 0.25 mile radius of Founders Buuilding which encompasses the project area.

  • There is a measured high-density of HMO's, c.20% and significant other student rental accommodation.

  • From PCL's report, there are c.160 on-street spaces in the project area.

• Compiling publishable reports on the situation

• Conducting door-to-door interviews with residents to get to the bottom of the problem.

  
  The findings have resulting in a variety of actions, initiatives and submissions by the Forum as follows:
  

• Building relationships with SCC Highways and RBC Planning to better shape the understanding and narrative with respect to parking stress in the village.

• Triggering a 3-year statutory review of the RBC parking SPD.

• Making submissions on EG planning applications that may negatively impact parking and recommending withdrawals, changes or conditional grants.

Achievements

• Assisting residents of the project area with submissions to the 2023, 2024 and 2025 SCC Parking Reviews, all accepted and implemented.

• The withdrawal of one RHUL planning application and changes to and inclusion of important conditions in others.

• Publishing several reports and surveys (available on request) related to parking in the village.

• Significant engagement with SCC Highways, Parking and Enforcement who is the regulator of on-street parking.

• Assisting residents in the project area in successfully garnering the support of a majority interviewed for a proposal to SCC for a Residents Permit Scheme, expected to be advertised for public consultation in Spring 2026, breaking a 15-year impasse.

  • This was in large measure the result of the involvement and work of volunteer residents of the area, a possible template for resident-led action groups in the future.

• Better equipping our ward and county councillors with actionable data-led analysis and decisions to better understand and bring about solutions to the village parking problems brought to them by residents and working closely with them to see these plans through to completion.