Abingdon: Central North area - proposed permit parking & restrictions

Following an informal consultation with residents which was carried out in November 2024 (see details here), Officers have worked with the Town and County Councillors to develop proposals for various roads in Abingdon. The proposals look to address issues in the ‘Central North’ area arising from school parking, all day parking from commuters and non-residents in the town, whilst also providing options for residents by way of parking permits.

We're therefore asking for your views on the plan to make changes to on-street parking restrictions, in order to help better manage the supply of residential & non-residential parking in the immediate vicinity. Specifically, the proposals comprise of the following measures:

Permit holders parking would be provided by a mixture of ‘Permit holders only past this point’ restriction on various streets, as well as designated parking bays in others, both operating Monday-Saturday 8am-6pm. Additionally, ‘shared-use’ parking bays (Permit holders or 2 hours no return within 1 hour’) will also be introduced on Monday to Saturdays between 8am-6pm, allowing for both permit holders & non-permit holders to park as appropriate.

Residents of specified properties in: Abbott Road, Aston Close, Bath Street, (service road), Clifton Drive, Fitzharry's Road, Kingston Close, Letcombe Avenue, Nuneham Square, Oxford Road, Stanford Drive, Sutton Close, The Holt, The Motte, Thesiger Road, Vineyard, and Withington Court will be eligible to apply for both resident permits (one per resident & a maximum of two per property) & visitor permits, with a local identifier of `AN` to be shown on permits and on road signage where the restrictions apply.

New 'No Waiting at Any Time' restriction (Double yellow lines) will be introduced in the area to help facilitate the proposed new measures and mitigate any potential displacement of non-resident parking, in many cases replacing the existing Single Yellow Line restrictions. Also, the timing of any existing ‘No waiting’ restrictions (Single yellow lines) will be standardised to Monday-Saturday 8am-6pm.

Additionally, ‘shared-use’ (pay and display or permit holders) parking provision (Monday to Saturday, 8am-6pm) will be introduced on Withington Court to provide short-stay facilities for those wishing to utilise the local amenities.

* Notes: the general operating principles that would apply for the permit scheme are outlined below:

• Resident’s permits are limited to 1 per resident with a maximum of 2 per property,
  
• Only eligible residents may apply and proof of residency and vehicle ownership will be required on application,
• The fee for a resident’s permit is currently set at £132 per annum per permit,
• Visitors permits for residents aged 70 or over will be free of charge, for other residents the first block of 25 visitors permits will be free and the second block will be £31.50 - with a maximum of 50 per annum,
• Blue badge holders can park in permit parking areas/bays without the need to display a permit,
• A permit allows the holder to park in an area/bay designated for use with that permit. It does not allow the user to contravene other restrictions such as double yellow lines. It also does not guarantee a space directly outside a property and any marked spaces are not allocated or reserved to induvial permit holders,
• Contractors may apply for a permit to use a resident`s parking place at a charge of £31.50 for any period not exceeding a week, and
  
• Permits are available for registered carers and healthcare workers.

Have your say.

Please read the detailed information provided on this consultation and take the time to complete the survey as your views and opinions matter. Your response should be completed and returned by 5pm on Friday 01 August 2025.

Whilst we will endeavour to answer simple queries during the course of the consultation, any more complex questions/issues will be appraised and dealt with as part of consultation process.

What happens next?

The County Council will review the responses and if necessary (i.e. if objections are received) prepare a report to be presented to the Cabinet Member for Highway Management at a meeting scheduled for later in 2025. This will be public meeting at which members of the public may apply to speak. The agenda and reports for meetings will be made available on the Oxfordshire County Council web site about a week before the meeting (please note that occasionally it is necessary to defer reports to a later meeting, and it is therefore advisable to check the agenda ahead of attending a meeting). The Forward Plan of decisions meetings can be viewed here.