Talking about the Parking Problem!
The University of Cumbria is finally talking about the parking problem. At a special JoG ward PACT meeting in early April, Mike Baker of the University of Cumbria was invited to talk to the local community about the traffic and parking problems blighting the surrounding area. Over 75 local people turned out to listen to what the University had to say, to offer their own suggestions and to make sure the University understands how serious this problem is for those of us living in close proximity to the Lancaster campus.
John O’Gaunt Ward Cllr Jude Towers Said after the meeting “I’ll be keeping an eye on the situation, starting by contacting the University to find out the outcome of the first parking group meeting. Lets hope this is a turning point. ”
Local residents in the audience, whilst tense and vocal were also articulate, reasonable and offered as many possible solutions as they did raise problems. The speaker from the University, Mike Baker, was initially a little shocked at the community response, but was left in no doubt, and promised to make the highest management of the University be in no doubt, about the size of the problem and the need to address community relations.
The main points thatcame out of the meeting were:
- The number of students at the Lancaster campus are not set to increase, rather there is going to be an exchange of students between campuses.
- There has been no detailed planning on car parking and travel arrangements yet, but have acknowledged that this is very important and needs to be done.
- Cllr Blamire, Chair of the Council Planning Committee, announced that there would be no planning permission for the Gateway Project without significant progress on travel and parking plans.
- The X1 bus route is to be re-instated.
- In the first year the Uni made £30k surplus from carparking, which when the Council agreed its parking charges, was to used to enhance alternative travel. Mike reported that £17.5k had gone to subsidise the X1 bus and rest went on cycle facilities such as shelters, showers etc.
- The Uni is in the process of setting up a Green Travel Group, a subgroup of which is carparking, due to have its first meeting the week after the PACT meeting (good timing there!). Mike Baker is sitting on that group. I requested
- that they also include staff with responsibility for off campus accommodation to ensure the issue of student housing with several vehicles per house was included in the remit of this group.
- Mike reported that the Travel Coordinator post has been approved and will be made in the near future (rings a bell, but we’ll wait and see). He was confident someone would be in post before the start of the next academic year
The main suggestions from the community were:
- Use the auction mart as another carpark. Re-open the footpath from the carpark to Coulston Rd to make very quick access to the University to encourage staff and students to use it.
- Make the cost of this carpark very cheap or free to encourage use.
- Make the carpark free for local residents, so at least there is somewhere to park relatively close to home if can’t park outside own house.
- Take a commercial decision to invest in alternative travel
- The university needs to be a much better communicator and community member
Promises from Mike Baker included:
- Ensuring senior management understands how bad the situation is between the local community and the University
- Investigate a locally based direct contact point in the University to deal with all community enquiries and issues
- Investigate the production of a newsletter to help keep local residents informed about what is going on, future plans, travel initiatives etc
- Get the travel coordinator in place
- Attend future community meetings in order for the University to work better as part of the community and to take its concerns seriously..
Watch here for updates!