Since Robert and the team first got elected to the City Council in 2006, they have been fighting to get a residents parking scheme implemented around the High Street to help local residents be able to park by their houses. They had a scheme, which had been agreed by local residents in a draft public consultation, ready for the final stage in 2012. Sadly since then the City Council was replaced by a Labour Council that kicked the scheme into the long grass and changed the scheme, while prioritising other schemes in the inner City.

In the alternative budgets that the Conservative Group put before the City Council in 2013, 2014 and 2015 every Labour Councillor, including all Labour Erdington District Councillors voted against making the Erdington Parking Scheme the number one priority and funding the scheme.

Bob, Gareth and Robert have been meeting officers regularly and since 2012 have also been demanding, at the regular ‘full Council’ meeting, that the Cabinet member releases the scheme for final stage consultation.

Bob, Robert and Gareth are delighted therefore to announce that the Council has finally listened and the final consultation will now take place. The Council have agreed to start the process from the end of July. Popular local Cllr Gareth Moore said “We had previously asked for it to be started in September rather than July as residents had requested this at the previous consultations to ensure that people were not missed out when away on Holiday. We made it clear if it is starting before the summer, residents must have a chance to comment still in September. The City Council have agreed to make it a 12 week consultation to ensure that residents can still reply when they return from any holidays”.               

From August 17th residents will be delivered a consultation booklet by the City Council. Please keep an eye out for it. Information regarding the scheme will also be on the Council website from the end of July.

With the Labour City Council still determined to build on the Hart Road Car Park and the possibility of other car parks being sold still a risk, the need for a residents parking scheme is only going to intensify.

If the scheme is approved by residents in the consultation ballot then the Council should implement the scheme by April 2016.