Kingston Council has approved a new parking management scheme for Phase 1A of the Cambridge Road Estate, despite concerns raised about the process and timing of the decision.
The Kingston and North Kingston Neighbourhood Committee voted to introduce a Permit Parking Area, operating Monday to Saturday, 08:30 to 18:30, for Block B and Block E, and associated on and off-street parking facilities. The plans are detailed in Annex 2 - Location Plans.
The decision was made at a meeting of the Kingston and North Kingston Neighbourhood Committee on Thursday, 3 July 2025.
According to the council report, planning consent for the redevelopment of the Cambridge Road Estate requires the council to introduce parking regulations to manage parking within the estate and mitigate the risk of displacement into the surrounding neighbourhood.
However, some councillors voiced their discontent with the way the decision was being handled. Councillor Olly Wehring, Chair of the Kingston and North Kingston Neighbourhood Committee, said he felt like he was being bounced
into a decision due to delays in the project. Councillor Roger Hayes echoed this sentiment, stating:
This is the third time this evening we have run out of feet to shoot and we seem to do it every single bloody time. And communications is not difficult. Why, therefore, do we seem to find it difficult every single time we attempt it?
Despite these concerns, the committee unanimously approved the recommendations. The committee also agreed to delegate the consideration of any representations received in response to the Statutory Notice to the Director for Highways, Transport, and Regulatory Services, in consultation with Councillor Wehring, Councillor Nicola Nardelli, Portfolio Holder, affected Ward Members and the Director of Housing.
A further report will be brought back to the Committee within six months of any parking regulations being implemented. This will report on the representations received and the response, an update on capacity, demand and other impacts, and an action plan for future phases where there is a need to vary parking regulations.
