Following concerns expressed to me by West End residents about possible loss of parking spaces in the busy Roseangle car park, I have received assurances from the City Council's Head of Transportation that loss of spaces is purely temporary and that there will not be any significant loss of parking on a permanent basis.
Following signage about impending works at the car park appearing and the bottom row of parking being blocked off, residents were concerned that that bottom row of spaces was going to be removed altogether to make a cycle path through the car park.
Residents rightly point out that parking in this part of the West End is difficult enough and this particular car park so busy that a loss of spaces would mean more local residents who cannot get parked near their homes.
I contacted the City Council's Head of Transportation, who advises,
"I can confirm that the current works will provide a marked cycle route through the car park thus linking Seabraes cycle path with the path about to be upgraded through Magdalen Green linking through to Windsor Street. The parking bays are currently temporarily suspended to allow the works to proceed.
I have been advised that possibly one space may be lost where the Seabraes path meets the car park- I note your request to try and avoid this but I believe this space was not meant to be available and should always have been left as the route through from the Seabraes path. However, I will discuss this matter with the engineers."
I am pleased to be able to reassure residents that a lot of vital parking provision in this very busy car park will not be lost. However, it remains important that the City Council moves forward residents' parking improvements in this area of the West End as promised as parking is so difficult here.