Loughton Residents Association


Parking and traffic

LRA works to create and maintain proper parking controls, enough parking for residents and for speed restrictions and road safety, particularly in shopping centres. An important consideration is the needs of residents in roads close to the shops, and those roads near the station, where commuters park. LRA chases up the District and County Councils on road problems such as potholes and fly-posting.

The LRA fully appreciates the difficulties people living in streets near the High Road suffer from commuter parking, and have been get action on the issue for more than a decade. We managed to get work on a parking scheme started some ten years ago, but this was then abandoned by the Conservatives when they took over as a majority on the District Council and at the time controlled parking policy in the District. We think that, subject to resident consultation, the best way to proceed would probably be to set up resident parking zones (RPZs) in all areas within 500-600 yards of the High Road (plus limited metered short-term visitor parking in marked bays, or visitor permits).

What next? In April 2012, parking matters were taken over by a new body, the North Essex Parking Partnership (NEPP), set up by the County Council and based in Colchester. (District Councillors no longer have significant input into parking policy matters. Following numerous requests from residents, Chris Pond, the LRA County Councillor for Loughton Central (north of Forest Road), has asked the NEPP to research the introduction of RPZs in the area bounded by Forest Road, Staples Road, York Hill, and the High Road. Subject to residents’ views, Chris will be happy to press for a scheme for this area, and LRA will work with any-one else who shares our concerns for the situation in which residents find themselves. (The area south of Forest Road is in the Loughton South & Buckhurst Hill division, represented by Valerie Metcalfe (Cons)).

More car-parks at Underground stations
LRA will resist proposals to build extra parking at stations unless and until proper residents’ parking schemes are introduced in the roads round Loughton and Debden stations. Otherwise the net result will be even more commuters arriving from all over Essex – trains to and from Debden and Loughton are already overcrowded in the rush hours. There have been misguided proposals for a multi-storey car-park in Epping, and for parking on open land by Theydon Bois station.

Parking obstructions on highways 
To report an obstruction on the highway (across dropped kerbs, on yellow lines or elsewhere), contact the District Council parking enforcement team on 01992 564462.

Obstructions on verges
There are many verges in Loughton that have been disfigured by unsuitable or thoughtless parking. Where we can, we press for suitable arrangements to meet parking needs and protect verges, but in the current financial conditions it is very hard to get councils to act on these cases. Some residents have taken matters into their own hands, and have placed obstructions on the verges outside their properties – if you would like a copy of the highways guidelines on when such obstructions will be accepted, please email david.linnell@loughtonresidents.co.uk  [Note; these do not apply to verges on District Council Housing land.]

Loughton Broadway Area Parking Review
Despite having done most of the preparatory work, and having consulted residents, the District Council has postponed further work on this scheme while it sorts out problems with two other schemes in the District which are further advanced. When the work re-starts there will still need to be a formal consultation with residents and completion of the necessary legal paperwork before any yellow lines and signs appear.
Latest position.
Background.

Parking enforcement on Debden estates
In order to reduce parking difficulties on housing estates, the maximum length of grass verge which can be removed in order to construct a crossover to allow residents to park their vehicle/s in their front garden has been increased from 6 metres to 12 metres. An additional £300,000 Housing Department money is being made available for further off-street parking schemes, with matched funded from the District Council's General Fund. The parking rules will be enforced where parking is particularly bad, after consultation with local residents and councillors. http://rds.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/Published/C00000295/M00005694/$$ADocPackPublic.pdf?ku=24259615$UQS

Olympic Victory
LRA has ensured that traffic congestion that could have been caused by the construction of the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) M11 Logistics Centre will be kept out of the town. The proposal to install traffic lights on the right-turn arm of the slip road leaving the M11 on Chigwell Lane has been defeated.
More details

Parking in front gardens
We know that parking can cause great problems, and that parking in front gardens is still on the increase. Please note that

  • the County Highways department can issue a direction to residents to stop driving over an un-dropped kerb, or can send you a substantial bill to install a dropped kerb - these are installed only if residents pay
  • on A roads, like Loughton High Road (A121) you may need planning permission for a dropped kerb as well
  • there are now strict rules about paving or concreting over your front garden.

Essex Speed Management Strategy
The new strategy is now available online. The County Council will be reviewing speed limits across the County, although this will take some time. LRA will be looking for ways of using the strategy in Loughton, such as 20mph zones (but note that 20mph speed limits have to be generally self-enforcing, so that the existing conditions of the road plus any traffic calming and signs lead to average traffic speeds which comply with the speed limit, without additional police enforcement.)

Possible help for cul-de-sacs
It is possible that we may be able to get protection for residents' parking for cul-de-sacs under new regulations, by just having signs at the entry point. We are strongly in favour of this approach, which would be very useful on the Debden estate and also elsewhere in Loughton, for example in The Drive, Staples Rd, Shaftesbury and many others).