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To: Chelmsford City Council

Stop Chelmsford City Council charging for car parking at Hylands Park

We call on Chelmsford City Council to abandon the proposal to charge for car parking at Hylands Park and remove this from the budget.

Why is this important?

Whilst numbers were submitted to CCC on the 12th February. On a recent BBC radio interview a council representative confirms they intend to push ahead anyway - we dont want that to happen. Ongoing signatures and comments are therefore welcomed as they still contribute to the overall support for this campaign.

Please do read the detail below, sign and share. I would also encourage you to email your local Chelmsford City Councillor requesting they represent any concerns you have at the full council meeting on the 24th February. Please be consice and kind in your communicatins to them.
You can find the contact details for your local councillor here: https://www.chelmsford.gov.uk/your-council/councillors-committees-and-decision-making/councillors/find-a-councillor/

Chelmsford City Council (then Borough) purchased Hylands in 1964 and since then residents and visitors alike have been able to visit and enjoy the Hylands estate without need to pay for parking. This petition calls for local councillors to get behind the residents they represent and speak against the proposal to charge for parking at Hylands Park.
At the Cabinet Meeting, on the 26th January 2021, Councillors presented the Chelmsford City Council Revenue Budget for 2021/22. Within this was the proposal to implement a parking charge at Hylands Park. Whilst it is accepted that the City Council is facing a financial shortfall, residents are opposed to this as a mechanism to increase revenue.
There are many reasons why this proposal to charge for parking at Hylands Park should be abandoned, some of which are listed below:
• Green spaces are promoted as important for maintaining positive mental health, in the midst of the pandemic and through the recovery to come this is even more important.
• Charging for car parking would put a premium on accessing green open spaces and make it more difficult for all to visit.
• Setup and maintenance of payment infrastructure is not without cost. This, coupled with a possible scheme to vary the charge for local residents as opposed to visitors to Chelmsford only adds further complication will greatly erode any benefit from charging.
• Visitors may seek out alternative ‘free’ parking in residential areas local to Hylands such as Writtle – increasing congestion and necessitating further parking restrictions.
• Charging for parking could decrease visitor numbers and thereby reduce footfall to businesses within the site.

Everyone is welcome to sign this petition, all signatures and comments are greatfully received however, when submitted to Chelmsford City Council, only signatures of people who live, work or study within the Chelmsford City Council authority boundary will be counted for the puspose of petitioning the council. You can check here if you live within the authority boundary: www.gov.uk/find-local-council

How it will be delivered

This petition is being presented to Chelmsford City Council on the 24th February.

Chelmsford, UK

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Updates

2021-02-04 09:34:34 +0000

5,000 signatures reached

2021-02-02 17:08:51 +0000

1,000 signatures reached

2021-02-02 15:24:01 +0000

500 signatures reached

2021-02-02 13:59:23 +0000

100 signatures reached

2021-02-02 13:46:44 +0000

50 signatures reached

2021-02-02 13:35:33 +0000

25 signatures reached

2021-02-02 13:25:33 +0000

10 signatures reached