Question 17: Do you agree with the proposed approach to the management of transport, access an the public realm in Southend Central Area? Please explain your answer.

Object

Representation ID: 1929

Received: 21/01/2016

Respondent: Reverend Phyllis Owen

Insuufficient allowance for parking to take into account the number of residential units proposed.

Support

Representation ID: 1946

Received: 08/02/2016

Respondent: Essex Chambers of Commerce

Agree with the proposed approach to the management of transport, access and the public realm in the Southend Central Area, with the proviso that it should be amended to state that the Council 'will maintain car parking capacity at a level that supports the vitality and viability of the town centre' rather than 'seeking to maintain car parking capacity....'

Support

Representation ID: 1975

Received: 14/02/2016

Respondent: Mr David Batley

I strongly support the introduction of bus priority measures along the A13 (London Road). Most of Westcliff and Leigh near this road consists of high-density housing with no off-street parking, a land-use pattern which works well with high-frequency public transport.

Comment

Representation ID: 1988

Received: 25/01/2016

Respondent: Mr. Harry Chandler

It might be worth considering the creation of a tramway based on the bus station to connect Southend airport, Victoria Avenue, Southend Victoria railway station, Southend Central, the High Street and the sea front. It is likely that the creation of a tramway would encourage more visitors to come to Southend by train and help reduce our car parking problems.

Comment

Representation ID: 1990

Received: 22/01/2016

Respondent: Burges Estate Residents Association

There is an anti- car feeling about some of the comments. A reluctance to acknowledge its importance in sustaining the central area's economy and over emphasis on suppressing it in favour of other modes. Car parking is only mentioned in terms of capacity ignoring the issue of pricing which is one of the major disincentives that the centre faces.

Comment

Representation ID: 1991

Received: 22/01/2016

Respondent: Burges Estate Residents Association

On page 7 there is reference to successful recent public realm and access improvement schemes. Some examples would be useful because I cannot think of them.

Comment

Representation ID: 1992

Received: 22/01/2016

Respondent: Burges Estate Residents Association

There is nothing in the document which justifies the Policies Map boundaries and they do seem somewhat arbitrary with the inclusion of vast swathes of residential areas which are unlikely to be the subject of significant change in the plan timescale. Large parts of areas of Victoria Gateway, Sutton Gateway and Kursaal estate are examples. On the other hand I would draw attention to the exclusion of St Marys Church from the Victoria area. The church and the adjoining properties on the corner of this important intersection are key elements in any junction improvement and should be included.

Comment

Representation ID: 2001

Received: 22/01/2016

Respondent: Burges Estate Residents Association

Car parking on the sea front is mostly kerbside and it is difficult to believe that on- street parking duration is only 5mins. However the capacity needed to support the vitality of the town centre is not just a function of demand as it stands but the price mechanism. It must be a significant factor where choosing where to shop especially when so much of the competition has free parking.

Comment

Representation ID: 2002

Received: 22/01/2016

Respondent: Burges Estate Residents Association

The only other point on transport is mixed mode priority routes. Mixed in the sense of ped/cycle routes are not working because too many cyclists now have it in their heads that any footway or footpath is fair game. I know this is an enforcement issue but if it cannot or will not be enforced effectively then it is bad policy.

Comment

Representation ID: 2041

Received: 15/02/2016

Respondent: Stockvale Group

Transport and Access into the Town is a key theme and in order to deliver the aspired number of new dwellings and new jobs in the Central Area the Stockvale Group wish to see this appropriately addressed through the SCAAP documentation. At present Stockvale Group does not believe that the Transport, Access and Parking Issues have been given enough consideration. Nor the highway infrastructure on existing businesses let alone the aspirational growth.

Support

Representation ID: 2042

Received: 15/02/2016

Respondent: Stockvale Group

Wholly support townscape improvements, improvements to the public realm, vastly improved connectivity from car parks to the Seafront, car parks to the high street and the creation of active public spaces in an otherwise linear High Street.

Comment

Representation ID: 2050

Received: 15/02/2016

Respondent: Stockvale Group

As part of this representation we have reviewed Blackpool's Local Plan Making as a similar seaside town and comparable seaside resort. As part of the Blackpool Core Strategy Consultation and examination in public, the seafront businesses made succinct clear representation regarding the impact of traffic and parking on the sustainability and future growth of Blackpool as a tourist resort and destination of choice. The [Blackpool] Seafront business representation noted that the major attractions that make Blackpool a tourist destination rely on easy access to car parking and good access from car parks to the attractions by foot and public transport.
The Seafront businesses further noted that this matter is often not well understood by councils, who generally consider that it is not necessary to plan car parking for peak periods only. In most industries, for example planning the levels of parking for shopping areas based only on the Christmas peak, this a reasonable approach but for the businesses which are seasonal and need to meet visitor targets to survive (or at least to continue at the present scale), this approach can have far reaching consequences.

Object

Representation ID: 2051

Received: 15/02/2016

Respondent: Stockvale Group

The Southend Seafront businesses feel this particular issue [related to peak periods for car parking] is not understood by the Local Authority and as such the level of tourism and investment has peaked. Many of the Seafront businesses have expressed their view as part of this consultation that they cannot invest further in the town due to the issue of access and parking and as such they already have a declining customer base.

Comment

Representation ID: 2052

Received: 15/02/2016

Respondent: Stockvale Group

Members of the Stockvale Group together with representatives of local businesses within the SCAAP area discussed highways and parking issues with Southend on Sea Borough Council's Head of Planning and Transport. As the Chief Officer responsible for transport he was recorded as saying 'the issue with parking is if you create more parking spaces, more people will come and they will create congestion i.e. there will be greater numbers of visitors to the Town meaning greater business! This exasperates the concerns of local businesses that parking and transport issues are not fully understood and have no serious consideration as part of the Council's preferred option and SCAAP Framework.

Comment

Representation ID: 2053

Received: 15/02/2016

Respondent: Stockvale Group

Interestingly the representations made by the Seafront businesses in Blackpool persuaded the Government Inspector of their position. The Inspector concluded in their report that 'Car Parks need to accommodate peak weekend/bank holiday parking'.

Object

Representation ID: 2076

Received: 15/02/2016

Respondent: Stockvale Group

RICS paper 'High Streets Adapting for Change' discusses parking changes and out of town retail which provides free parking. Since 2007 many local authorities have increased parking charges significantly. In the SCAAP area this is a key issue which requires essential review. This is in contrast to the smaller districts of wider Southend on Sea, Leigh and Southchurch where the Council have extended free parking to 2 hours. Compared to Central Southend and the SCAAP area where parking for 2 hours is in excess of £3.30. In Stockvale Group's view this is a deterrent for people coming into Southend particularly for shopping. This combined with the poor spatial and environmental quality is a contributing factor to the decline of Southend's Town Centre.

Support

Representation ID: 2084

Received: 15/02/2016

Respondent: Stockvale Group

Wholeheartedly support the encouragement and expansion of businesses in the Southend Central Area, although note that the issues around transport, access and parking need further consideration and understanding.

Support

Representation ID: 2085

Received: 15/02/2016

Respondent: Stockvale Group

Wholeheartedly support the encouragement and expansion of businesses in the Southend Central Area, although note that the issues around transport, access and parking need further consideration and understanding.

Object

Representation ID: 2086

Received: 15/02/2016

Respondent: Stockvale Group

Transport, access and parking issues need further consideration and are a particular issue for the Seafront businesses and the tourist economy. The highway infrastructure makes journeys into the town prolonged and difficult. Many visitors and customers simply don't return.

Comment

Representation ID: 2090

Received: 15/02/2016

Respondent: Stockvale Group

Southend's Unique Selling Point is the Seafront which is a destination of choice. The Seafront and High Street inter relate on each other for business with the major attractions of Southend relying on easy access to car parking and good access from the car parks to the High Street and the Seafront attractions by foot or public transport.

Comment

Representation ID: 2091

Received: 15/02/2016

Respondent: Stockvale Group

Access into the Town is problematic certainly on peak days, but also in evenings when there are events on in the Town and Central Seafront. There is a view that from the Victoria Gateway junction to the Raleigh Weir on days of high visitation and sunny days the key route is completely grid locked between these two key points. This represents somewhere in the region of 3840 cars parked nose to tail across the main artery into the Town which is mainly a dual carriageway.

Comment

Representation ID: 2092

Received: 15/02/2016

Respondent: Stockvale Group

Some members of the STOCKVALE GROUP and representatives of the Seafront businesses believe that one way in which the congestion into the Town could be improved is for an additional 3840 parking spaces to be made accessible and available within close proximity to the Seafront and core High Street Area. This is due to the day visitor attraction industry, particularly family attractions such as the Seafront receiving the vast majority of its income in a few weeks of the year. These generally coincide with the school holidays. During this peak period a visitor attraction business needs to be able to accommodate every visitor that wants to visit as these peak days effectively subsidise the operation for the rest of the year.
If the access to the main attractions is limited on peak days by the availability of car parking spaces, this could and does have serious impact on the viability of the Seafront businesses. The main parking areas are generally at capacity on peak holiday periods. Any loss of capacity as a result of the SCAAP proposals would result in a cap of visitors during these peak periods. This limits the amount of investment within the Seafront to the current status quo.
Transport and access is not just limited to the Seafront and does have a huge impact on the High Street, combined with parking tariffs, access and egress, and poor legibility around the Town Centre. Whilst the changes outlined in the SCAAP from a space and use perspective will do an awful lot to reinvigorate and regenerate the High Street, this must be inclusive of a renewed and fresh approach to parking provision within the SCAAP Area.

Comment

Representation ID: 2096

Received: 15/02/2016

Respondent: Stockvale Group

Various improvements have been made to the Central Seafront including improved connectivity through Pier Hill and the City Beach. Whilst there have been some improvements to the landscape of the High Street, this needs a much greater consideration and linking to new development. There needs to be greater inclusion of soft landscaping and public spaces and improved connections from the High Street through to the Seafront. This is particularly the case with Seaway Development. This development site represents a great opportunity to create a gateway development and pedestrian links and improved Public Realm linked to the Seafront. The STOCKVALE GROUP would wish to see a breaking down of the linearity of the High Street and the creation of a number of destination and unique quarters. This resonates particularly through with the Tylers Avenue, London Road and Alexandra and Clarence Street opportunity sites.

Comment

Representation ID: 2104

Received: 15/02/2016

Respondent: Stockvale Group

Before the SCAAP document is enshrined, the STOCKVALE GROUP would ask that the Council carry out thorough research, analysis and investigation into the capabilities of the existing infrastructure and the capabilities of utility suppliers to meet the aspirational growth. This is essential and will need some degree of consideration in terms of new sub stations around the SCAAP area. This directly links to townscape and Public Realm improvements as these sub stations represent an opportunity to not create a negative space in the overall townscape.
Many of the Members of the STOCKVALE GROUP are continuously seeking to improve their offer and find that the limitation of the existing utilities coming into the SCAAP area prohibit their future plans and proposals. This has not been at all addressed in the SCAAP document.

Comment

Representation ID: 2110

Received: 15/02/2016

Respondent: Stockvale Group

There is the further opportunity to reopen the deepening alleviating some of the traffic stress that has resulted of the Highway alterations.

Comment

Representation ID: 2126

Received: 15/02/2016

Respondent: Stockvale Group

There are a couple of issues that the STOCKVALE GROUP want to ensure are adequately addressed through the SCAAP. The first of those is the potential of having residents parking zones, this could have a negative effect on the existing Town Centre on and off street parking and consume spaces that are vital for visitors.

Object

Representation ID: 2139

Received: 15/02/2016

Respondent: Stockvale Group

Major concerns relating to all supported aspirations being achieved falls into a number of categories - transport, access and parking is a key theme and at present the existing parking provision is woefully inadequate. The access route into the Town is often unable to cater for the number of visitors on sunny days and this is likely to be detrimental to economic sustainability and the projected growth of 6,000 jobs within the SCAAP Area

Object

Representation ID: 2140

Received: 15/02/2016

Respondent: Stockvale Group

The identified opportunity development sites are mainly existing public car parks. Through the SCAAP the Local Authority should seek a minimum of a replacement like for like number of public spaces on each of the sites whilst also meeting the development requirements in accordance with the Council's Development Management Policy.

Comment

Representation ID: 2142

Received: 15/02/2016

Respondent: Southend BID

Transport and Access into the Town is a key theme and in order to deliver the aspired number of new dwellings and new jobs in the Central Area the Stockvale Group wish to see this appropriately addressed through the SCAAP documentation. At present Stockvale Group does not believe that the Transport, Access and Parking Issues have been given enough consideration. Nor the highway infrastructure on existing businesses let alone the aspirational growth

Support

Representation ID: 2143

Received: 15/02/2016

Respondent: Southend BID

Wholly support townscape improvements, improvements to the public realm, vastly improved connectivity from car parks to the Seafront, car parks to the high street and the creation of active public spaces in an otherwise linear High Street.