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Prime Road and Elgin Street, Grey Lynn – Extending the Grey Lynn Residential Parking Zone Prime Road and Elgin Street, Grey Lynn – Extending the Grey Lynn Residential Parking Zone

Proposal status: Feedback closed 10 March 2020, last updated 5 May 2020.

Reference number: RTV-282

In March 2020, we proposed changes in your area

We proposed to extend the Grey Lynn Residential Parking Zone to Prime Road and Elgin Street, Grey Lynn to improve parking availability for residents and visitors. Our proposal responded to requests from residents about limited parking availability.

Residents and businesses within residential parking zones can apply for residential permits and coupons.

Residential parking zone features

  • A residential parking zone is an area with a time-restriction that applies to on-street parking spaces across a residential area.
  • The time restriction for parking spaces within the zone is typically 2 hours, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm (excluding public holidays).
  • Subject to eligibility, residents and businesses within the zone can apply for permits that give an exemption from the parking restriction.
  • Residential Parking Zone parking permits do not guarantee permit holders a parking space in their street.

Download the proposal drawing for Prime Road and Elgin Street (PDF 233KB)

Proposal outcome

The proposed changes will proceed to the next stage of detailed planning. Thank you to everyone who responded to our proposal and gave us the chance to better understand your community and concerns. A summary of your feedback and our responses to community questions is below.

Feedback received

Parking scarcity

  • Respondents supported the proposal, noting some vehicles including cars and campervans stay parked on the road all day and for long periods at a time. Respondents also stated that some drivers using the road for parking create noise disturbance and leave rubbish.
    Thank you for your feedback. We believe that the extension of the Grey Lynn Residential Parking Zone to Prime Road and Elgin Street will prevent the long-term stayers and will assist in freeing up parking in the area.
  • Respondents expressed concern that congestion on the road has led to vehicles parking across driveways.
    The extension of the Grey Lynn Residential Parking Zone aims to reduce parking congestion. However, if a vehicle is parking within one metre of your vehicle crossing and blocking your access, please call parking enforcement on 09 355 3553 with vehicle details and enforcement shall be organised.
  • Respondents stated that the proposal is not necessary, as they do not have difficulty getting a parking space on Prime Road.
    Our parking occupancy survey results showed that Prime Road and Elgin Street have more than 85% occupancy at peak times throughout the week. The parking occupancy optimum level is 85% at peak times. At this level parking is well utilised whilst ensuring that some spaces are always available for visitors. The proposed changes aim to bring the parking occupancy levels within these acceptable limits.
  • Respondents expressed that the situation will get worse with the current development that is happening in the area.
    Our assessment of parking in the area indicates that the proposed improvements would bring the parking occupancy levels within the acceptable limits. The parking occupancy optimum level is 85% at peak times where parking is well utilised whilst ensuring that some spaces are always available for visitors. We will continue to monitor the parking situation after implementation and look to extend the restriction in the future if the parking occupancy level is above 85% during peak times.
  • Respondents requested the removal of some on-street parking in Grey Lynn.
    The only situations where on-street parking might be removed is in a public health and safety situation. This is where vehicles that are parked on-street in a specific location are causing multiple accidents, near misses and visual concerns to the pedestrians and drivers. We will pass this on to our traffic engineers to investigate if any removal of parking in Grey Lynn is warranted.

Residential parking zone extension

  • Respondents requested further extension of the Grey Lynn Residential Parking Zone as they feel parking congestion will worsen on other streets that are not in the zone. In particular, extending the Residential Parking Zone to;
    • Selbourne Street;
    • Firth Road;
    • Dryden Street;
    • Schofield Street;
    • Surrey Crescent;
    • The whole of Grey Lynn.

      Our initial parking occupancy investigations in late 2019 showed us that the average parking occupancy of all the streets in the Grey Lynn area we surveyed amounted to only 72% parking occupancy overall.
      This does not justify extending the Grey Lynn Residential Parking Zone further as the parking occupancy overall is not over 85%. The parking occupancy optimum level is 85% at peak times where parking is well utilised whilst ensuring that some spaces are always available for visitors.
      We would look to extend the restriction if the overall parking occupancy level is above 85% during peak times in future. However, we will continue to monitor the area for any further changes and contact affected residents accordingly.

Residential parking zone feedback

  • Respondents queried whether they would be able to get enough permits for houses that are divided into flats and have multiple cars.
    Please note as specified on the permit eligibility section of the Residential parking zone permits and coupons page 'if you live within the zone, you can apply for as many permits as there are vehicles registered to your address. Because the number of permits is capped, you may not get all the permits you apply for.' 
  • Respondents were concerned that permits will be based on whether properties have off-street parking, as some large vehicles do not fit in car ports without crossing the footpath.
    To ensure parking spaces are available, the number of permits issued is capped at 85% of the total number of spaces in the zone. Permits are allocated 1 at a time in rounds based on a priority system. If you are a resident applying for multiple permits, you will only be able to receive 1 permit in each allocation round.
    The allocation process stops once the permit cap is reached or when all applicants have received a permit.
    Groups in order of issuing priority (1 = high, 6 = low):
    • House on a single title without off-street parking or an apartment building built before 1944 without off-street parking.
    • House on a single title with 1 off-street parking space.
    • All other house or townhouses.
    • Apartments.
    • Community groups, school, education provider.
    • Businesses located within the parking zone.

      Please refer to the Residential parking zone permits and coupons for more information.
  • Respondents requested that residents of nearby roads are able to attain permits for Prime Road.
    Residential Parking Zone parking permits do not guarantee permit holders a parking space in their street. If you live outside the Residential Parking Zone you are not be entitled to a permit and will be declined if you apply.
    Permits are for residents and businesses within a residential parking zone:
    If you live within the zone, you can apply for as many permits as there are vehicles registered to your address. Because the number of permits is capped, you may not get all the permits you apply for.
    If you run a business within the zone, you can apply for 1 permit.
    New housing developments:
    New developments and homes built after the notification of the Auckland Unitary Plan (30 September 2013) are not eligible for parking permits.
    This is to protect the sustainability of the parking schemes and stop developers passing on the costs of providing parking to ratepayers. Developers and new home builders have a responsibility to ensure they have sufficient off-street parking to meet their needs.
  • Respondents opposed the fact that residents are required to pay for the permits.
    Permits require a $70.00 annual fee.
    • Permits are valid for the year of the set annual cycle date range.
    • Annual permits approved will be valid for 1 year, or part thereof, until the end of the annual cycle date range.
    • The full fee is charged, regardless of when the application is applied for during the cycle.
    • If you do not wish to pay for a permit that is fine. You will still need to adhere to the Residential Parking Zone times and restrictions as you may be fined if you do not have a permit. Your vehicle will need to be parked off street if you want to stay longer than two hours at any given time. For your reference please go to Residential parking zone permits and coupons for more information.
  • Respondents raised concerns about the plane trees damaging properties and filling up the street gutters.
    We will pass on your concerns to Auckland Council. For future queries, please contact the Auckland Council call centre on 09 301 0101 as Auckland Council parks and facilities maintain these street facilities and landscapes.

Next steps

We expect to introduce this work between July 2020 and September 2020, subject to change. Contractors will issue 48-hour notices to all affected residents prior to construction work.