PROPOSALS to change parking restrictions in The Mount in Reading have been rejected.
The decision was made at a Reading Borough Council traffic management sub committee meeting last Wednesday, June 15.
The council’s highways team had proposed increasing restricted parking times to 8am to 8pm, Monday to Sunday, two hours with no return.
However the restrictions will remain Monday to Friday, from 10am to 4pm, for a total of two hours with councillors monitoring the situation and possibly coming up with adapted proposals if required.
Some neighbours said they never had problems parking on The Mount, and that restrictions could hamper the trade of the Progress Theatre located there.
Others argued there were repeated problems parking outside their homes, both for themselves and health visitors.
Jill Simpson, supporting the changes, said: “Changes in restrictions are certainly not going to close the theatre.
“No positive reason for opposing the change has been put forward, since it’s been accepted the theatre won’t close.”
Previously, the Progress Theatre website stated patrons could park in The Mount, which has since been changed.
Meanwhile, Paul Bennett, who opposed the changes, said: “There are loads of places to park in The Mount.
“It’s not outside people’s houses, but that’s what you give up when you live in a terraced house with on street parking.”
There was the accusation that the issue had been politicised, with Cllr Clarence Mitchell, Conservative councillor for Emmer Green, concerned a recent meeting, hosted by Redlands councillors, was not sufficiently publicised.
The meeting was attended by Cllr David McElroy, Cllr Kathryn McCann, Cllr Will Cross and Cllr Rob White, the group leader of the Reading Green party.
Summarising the meeting, Cllr McElroy said: “It was near unanimously agreed that it was not difficult to find parking on The Mount as a whole.”
Although it was acknowledged parking is more difficult in the lower Mount, it was felt the situation was not serious enough to warrant the changes.
Only Cllr Mitchell voted for the proposed changes.
Describing what he thought it would take to reach a solution, Cllr White said: “I think it’s focusing on residents, working together and collecting data so we’ve got an agreed view on what the problem is if one develops in future.
“It’s keeping an eye on the situation, and collecting data, in a way that everyone can agree on what the problem is.”
Expressing scepticism, Cllr Mitchell said: “I think Cllr White hoping that we can all live happily together and consult and agree on this, is frankly a little naive.
“The tensions this has caused to residents in and around The Mount are obvious.
“There should be no winners and losers, it should be a compromise which is acceptable to all, but I think residents working together given the level of ill feeling is probably unrealistic.”
Previously, The Mount resident Niki Haywood raised fears a consultation on the proposals had been hijacked by cloned responses and bots.
The point was picked up by Cllr James Moore, Liberal Democrat councillor for Tilehurst, who asked whether the council’s consultation process would be reviewed.
Cllr Tony Page said he “sympathised” with the concerns, but any changes to the consultation procedure would have to apply across the council consistently.
