The parking review process

In order to maximise efficiency and provide best value for money, we do not introduce new parking controls at one or two locations at a time, but carry out a review of parking across the whole of each district or borough every 12 to 18 months (with the exception of Guildford who carry out their own reviews).

How we carry out parking reviews

In each review we consider if the area needs any new parking controls or changes to existing ones, based on any requests for changes or new restrictions that we have received since the previous review.

Our engineers assess each request, taking into account a number of factors, including:

  • road safety
  • accessibility
  • congestion
  • the possibility of just displacing a problem and
  • how many people support the request.

Following this, we compile a list of the ones which we think are the most necessary and important and should be taken further, which we share with the elected county councillors for all the electoral divisions in the relevant borough or district. We then discuss all the suggestions with them and decide whether any changes should be made to the list, before settling on the final version.

We then start the formal legal process. For this we have to put a notice in a local newspaper, saying that we intend to introduce the new parking controls and make copies of the proposals available for inspection at council buildings, such as libraries. In addition to this we put notices on lamp columns and posts in affected roads, publish the information on our website and usually write to residents and businesses fronting the proposed new controls.

There is then a period (usually 28 days) during which people can let us have their comments about the proposals, letting us know whether they support them or object to them. We then need to consider all the comments before deciding, in consultation with the appropriate county councillors, what should still go ahead, with or without changes.

Once the process is complete we publish the parking orders, amendments and plans and we arrange for the road markings and signs to be installed.

Parking review schedule

The list below shows when we will start carrying out the site visits and assessments and discussions with county councillors for the next parking review in each borough and district. It also shows the deadlines for submitting requests to be considered in each review.

If you wish to check what we already have under consideration, you can see details of our current reviews and parking consultations for each area online.

Requesting changes to parking controls

We will consider requests for new controls or changes to existing ones in the parking review for your area on the following basis:

  • Where we believe on street parking has a detrimental impact on road safety or the passage of vehicles or pedestrians, we will generally include these for assessment in a parking review, even if just one person has brought the issue to our attention. Examples of this might include preventing parking too close to junctions or in places that cause problems for the passage of larger vehicles, such as emergency vehicles, buses or refuse lorries.
  • With larger schemes, we will only investigate the possibility of new controls if we have evidence of the support of at least 70% of the properties in the street that are likely to be directly affected. Examples include requests for residents permit parking or other parking management schemes. The reason for this is that the development of parking management schemes can be expensive and time consuming. We want to know that there is a reasonable level of support for changes by residents (or other highway users) who will be affected before we start an investigation.

Before we can look at introducing a parking management scheme, usually where there is too much demand for the amount of available parking space in a street, such as a residents' parking permit scheme or yellow lines in a whole road or larger area, we need residents of that area to demonstrate support by submitting a parking scheme request. We generally require at least 70% of those households who will be directly affected to sign up to the scheme. Please note that submitting a scheme request, even with at least 70% signed up, does not mean that the scheme will necessarily go ahead, as it may not be appropriate for it to do so. However it does mean that we will give it serious consideration.

Download the parking request template (PDF).

Submitting a request from one person

Make sure to include:

  • your name and address,
  • the location of the parking restriction
  • and explain why you think the restrictions are needed or should be changed.

You can submit a request online using the links below:

or you send it in a letter, addressed to:

Parking Team, Hazel House, Merrow Lane, Guildford GU4 7BQ.

If you would like to contact us before sending in a request you can do so through our contact centre who can also be contacted via email contact.centre@surreycc.gov.uk

If your request was not recommended for action you can resubmit it for consideration in the next review.

Submitting a request from lots of people

Once you have enough signatures, you should send your parking scheme request to:

Parking Team, Hazel House, Merrow Lane, Guildford GU4 7BQ.

Files available to download