Both County and Borough Councils need to work with Edge Hill to provide a long-term solution to student parking problems say Our West Lancashire.

And to this end, the Council Independents have tabled a motion for debate at next week’s Borough Council meeting.

Its call comes as dangerous and illegal parking has proliferated again in residential areas as students struggle to find suitable parking spaces.

OWL Group Chairman, Adrian Owens said, “Edge Hill talk a lot about ‘enhancing the student experience’, yet, the current student experience with car travel and parking can be highly stressful for students.

"At the same time road safety, travel times and quality of life is worsened for permanent residents.

"The councils and Edge Hill need to put forward a lasting solution.”

Our West Lancashire say that any solutions need to protect green belt and aim to reduce congestion from car use. They’ve promoted Park and Ride as a possible option and say that Edge Hill should drop their opposition to considering multi-storey car parking on campus.

The motion tabled for debate is: 'This council notes with concern the extensive and often dangerous and illegal on-street car parking at certain times of the year in parts of Ormskirk resulting from the operation of Edge Hill University. This council also supports the principle of resisting inappropriate development in the green belt and, where possible, a reduction in car journeys to reduce carbon emissions, air pollution and traffic congestion. This council requests that senior representatives of West Lancashire Borough Council, Lancashire County Council and Edge Hill University meet to discuss long term solutions to the problem of extensive and often dangerous and illegal on-street car parking close to the University and that the ideas that arise from the meeting(s) are taken forward in the forthcoming Local Plan Review. To this end, the council instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Chief Executive of Lancashire County Council and the Vice Chancellor of Edge Hill University requesting such a meeting/meetings.'

Originally Posted by rogerblaxall

Both County and Borough Councils need to work with Edge Hill to provide a long-term solution to student parking problems say Our West Lancashire.

And to this end, the Council Independents have tabled a motion for debate at next week’s Borough Council meeting.

Its call comes as dangerous and illegal parking has proliferated again in residential areas as students struggle to find suitable parking spaces.

OWL Group Chairman, Adrian Owens said, “Edge Hill talk a lot about ‘enhancing the student experience’, yet, the current student experience with car travel and parking can be highly stressful for students.

"At the same time road safety, travel times and quality of life is worsened for permanent residents.

"The councils and Edge Hill need to put forward a lasting solution.”

Our West Lancashire say that any solutions need to protect green belt and aim to reduce congestion from car use. They’ve promoted Park and Ride as a possible option and say that Edge Hill should drop their opposition to considering multi-storey car parking on campus.

The motion tabled for debate is: 'This council notes with concern the extensive and often dangerous and illegal on-street car parking at certain times of the year in parts of Ormskirk resulting from the operation of Edge Hill University. This council also supports the principle of resisting inappropriate development in the green belt and, where possible, a reduction in car journeys to reduce carbon emissions, air pollution and traffic congestion. This council requests that senior representatives of West Lancashire Borough Council, Lancashire County Council and Edge Hill University meet to discuss long term solutions to the problem of extensive and often dangerous and illegal on-street car parking close to the University and that the ideas that arise from the meeting(s) are taken forward in the forthcoming Local Plan Review. To this end, the council instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Chief Executive of Lancashire County Council and the Vice Chancellor of Edge Hill University requesting such a meeting/meetings.'

Where would they like EHU to build this multi storey car park? The land around is all greenbelt so they are opposed to that, and of course it couldn't be built where the current car park is, because its in use throughout the year. Closing it to build on top of it would only cause more serious issues.

That’s a problem for Edge Hill to resolve they should have thought this through over the past fifteen years instead of building without any thoughts of the consequences for their students or the local population. Absolutely no more co-operation or enlargement of Edge Hill without them coming up with a plan to resolve the problem of parking. It’s for them to resolve not WLBC.

Local councillors would be better occupied in solving the mess they’ve made of the town and the damage done to residents, you know the people who PAY the tax they so lavishly want to squander our money resolving Edge Hills problems. Put the residents first.

Some facts on WLBC:
- the West Lancs Local Plan (developed by the Council) guiding planning in the borough only requires Edge Hill provides one parking space per 15 students, which they more than fulfil.
- as the university has expanded, every planning application has been approved by the Council.
- the Local Plan prioritises public transport over car use.

So taking all that into account, just how would Edge Hill get planning permission from the Council for a multi-storey car park, that would only be used a couple of months each year?

And Reevsy - students not paying Council tax is national policy, so take it up with Rosie Cooper if you're not happy about it.

Planing permission was and still is being given for student accommodation in and around the town centre , no parking facilities required, the large development on the corner of St Helens Road, No parking, yet another development on the other side of St Helens Road, No Parking, Church St, No parking and others, over one hundred fifty places. Students that attempt to park in my yard tell me the agents tell them to park there.

As far as student not paying tax for accommodation, it’s not the students that’s putting the savings in the back pocket, it’s the landlords yet all their tenants use the same facilities as the rest of us. Universities sited within cities the residents can absorb some of the loss of tax however a small town like Ormskirk has been forced to a loss of millions of Pounds per year of tax revenue which has had to be unfairly borne by the local community. Parking, accommodation, family facility’s all adversely affected by the unchecked development whilst councillors simply let Edge Hill walk all over them without so much as a whimper and always put the Universities requirements before local tax paying residents. For the many not the few is simply a joke in and around the town centre, it’s more like more for the university and sod the local community.


Now we have councillors popping up all over the place telling us just how well they have done, and going to resolve a problem they should have tackled years ago but sat on there hands and did nothing, anybody would think there’s an election coming.