To: Nottingham City Council

Support Parking Charges at the Victoria Embankment

Move forward with proposals to include parking charges at the Victoria Embankment and make the area a safer, more enjoyable place for local residents to enjoy, for children to play and for visitors to use for leisure and recreation.

Why is this important?

Reducing the number of people parking on the embankment will help to reduce the number of cars passing through and make the area a safer more enjoyable place for people to enjoy. Many of those people parking in the area, abuse the facility simply to avoid parking charges faced elsewhere as part of their commute to work.
The Victoria Embankment in Nottingham has been given to the citizens of Nottingham and the locality for their mental and physical health & well-being. This breathing space is one of the most beautiful spots in the city; an oasis of serenity where people can escape from the hustle and bustle of traffic, of noise and of everyday life. This highly protected Covenanted Land, which has been gifted to the City, should be a place for people to visit for relaxation, recreation and enjoyment rather than another built-up car park amongst the urban sprawl.
The embankment hosts many amazing events including the Riverbank Festival, The Robin Hood Marathon, Cycle Live and the Caribbean carnival parade amongst many others. These fantastic events are enjoyed by thousands of people from all over the region and demonstrate just how beneficial a space such as this can be when cars are no longer the number one priority. The benefits to mental and physical health, the bringing together of communities and the knock on economic effects are incalculable.
The City Council has invested millions in a new tram route, has an award winning bus network, provides excellent park and ride facilities, as well as an accessible cycle hire scheme which has been free throughout the summer. Despite continued investment in sustainable and active travel options, many people still choose to use cars to travel into work and to destinations like this despite the financial burden, inconvenience caused by traffic congestion and knock effects to their health – not to mention issues with localised air pollution and greenhouse gases. The city council cannot rely on incentives along and has to crack down on those individuals who abuse local facilities, which are there to be enjoyed by local residents and people.

Nottingham

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