A raft of changes have been announced to the highly-controversial residents’ parking zone (RPZ) planned for Clifton Village by Bristol City Council.
The RPZ, will come into operation in October, will now have longer pay and display times, extra permits for businesses and new park and ride bus services. 
The changes, more than 100 according to a council spokesman, have been made in the face of fierce protests from traders over recent months.
While RPZs are planned across the city, the one intended for Clifton Village has caused the most controversy with traders driving a 25-tonne Sherman tank around the streets of Clifton to declare ‘war’ on the scheme and some noisy confrontations outside City Hall with Mayor George Ferguson, for whom RPZs have become a highly-charged issue.
Some of the biggest changes to the Clifton Village scheme include:
- Extending one and two-hour maximum stay pay and display limits in the commercial heart of the village to three hours (everywhere north of Clifton Park will continue to have five-hour maximum stay pay and display);
- Changing business permit allocation from a flat rate of seven per business to a new formula the council says is “more suited to the area’s diverse and dense mix of business and residential properties”;
- Hotels and conference venues can choose the number of permits they receive from options relating to the number of rooms or the number of their full-time equivalent staff;
- A new park-and-ride service serving Clifton Village will start in September running three buses an hour from the A4 Portway park and ride.
Mayor Ferguson said: “While I recognise that no single arrangement will suit everyone, I don’t think anyone can claim that we haven’t responded to people’s views.
“There’s been some strong debate in Clifton but officers have balanced the various demands and made appropriate adjustments. I believe they have come to a conclusion which serves everyone as best as possible.
“I thank the local councillors for their advice during what has been a challenging process.”
The scheme will operate from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, in streets north of Clifton Park, and from 9am to 9pm Monday to Saturday in the south of the scheme area.
