Parking at Lockwood - Examiner article 6/7/12

Councillor Cooper at Victoria Road, Lockwood

COUNCILLORS are campaigning for residents near the new Kirklees College building to have parking permits.

Green Party councillors fear parking chaos on residential streets in Lockwood when the new building opens next year.

Clr Andrew Cooper, leader of the Greens on Kirklees Council, is organising a petition calling for action.
Kirklees College is currently building a new £74 million campus off Chapel Hill on the edge of the town centre.

Completion of the new building has been delayed with the September opening date now put back to January.

The new campus, which replaces the college building in New North Road, will cater for thousands of students and Clr Cooper said: “No doubt parking will be at a premium.

“This is bound to put extra pressure on residential streets in the surrounding area.”

Streets in and around Victoria Road, Lockwood Road and Rashcliffe Hill Road will be included in the bid for residents-only permits.

Clr Cooper (Newsome) said there were some problems already and the situation would only get worse when the college opened.

“Victoria Road is already busy and there are a lot of terraced properties which don’t have driveways for the most part,” he said. “As a consequence it’s going to get fairly congested.

“Kirklees Council has been very supportive of Kirklees College and it should recognise the impact of this development on local residents.”

Clr Cooper added: “The council may see this as an additional cost – and yes it is – but it is a natural consequence of the new Kirklees College site and it is something the council cannot ignore.”

The Greens plan to submit the petition and a formal request to the council shortly.

Clr Cooper added: “The delay to the opening of the new college gives us an opportunity to resolve this and we intend to speak to the council’s Cabinet about it.”

Last year the council attempted to introduce a £30 charge for parking permits but backed down after an outcry. The move would have raised £260,000 for the austerity-hit local authority.