Residents in the Windmill Road / Gathorne Road area are feeling angry and frustrated about a recent appeal decision concerning parking zone eligibility.

There is rising concern in Central and New Headington that in cases where permission is being given for housing developments only on condition that they are car-free, applicants are paying the County Council to exclude their properties from the Controlled Parking Zone as conditioned in order to get development completed, but are later submitting requests to the County Council to include them in the CPZ.

The problem is that there is increasing pressure on parking space in central Headington and along the Headley Way/Windmill Road corridors, and this is partly caused by owners of properties renting out their private driveways to employees in the area and parking their own cars on-street.

The government is pressing for planning authorities to grant consent for infill, intensification in areas where there is pressure on building space, and for offices to change their use to residential accommodation. This means that increasingly consent is given on condition that properties are car-free.

This latest appeal ruling gives the go ahead for the owner of flats in an area which will already be hit by reductions in on-street parking space as part of the Access to Headington scheme to apply for CPZ inclusion, and was unexpected in that many objections were received from all quarters ahead of the decision being made.

County and City officers are currently reviewing the decision notice and Ruth has discussed issues that have arisen with the planning team leader.

At some point the following questions will need to be addressed:

• should there be a limit on the number of parking permits allowed per household in Headington? (there are elsewhere in the City)
• should there be an urgent review of Headington Controlled Parking Zones and how will this be prioritised in terms of funding?
• should more applications be refused on grounds of harm arising from increasing parking pressure in the area? And would they fall on appeal?

We would welcome your views on this.