Argyle fans face match day parking crackdown

Clogged streets trigger study

A residents’ parking scheme may be introduced to prevent streets being clogged up by fans on Plymouth Argyle match days.

Leader of Plymouth City Council Tudor Evans (Lab, Ham) has instructed officers to begin a formal feasibility study into a residents’ parking scheme in the areas most affected.

The study will look at the cost-benefit case for introducing match day restrictions, with a view to piloting a scheme in Peverell in the near future. 

It will draw on lessons from towns and cities such as Luton and Ipswich, and examine how to prevent displacement into surrounding streets, alongside options to support more sustainable travel to fixtures.

Any scheme will be shaped in partnership with local people and key groups, including Plymouth Argyle, ensuring a balanced approach that works for residents, fans and the wider community, said the council.

Cllr Evans said this first step towards a pilot scheme would be “done properly, with full consultation, and with a clear focus on getting the balance right for residents and fans alike”.

Peverell Labour councillor Jeremy Goslin, who has pushed for the move, said:    “I know first hand how difficult match days can be for residents’ parking, and it’s right that we now move towards a solution.

“I’ve always been clear that this needs to be done properly – learning from elsewhere, listening to local people, and making sure we don’t just shift the problem somewhere else. 

“Subject to the findings of the study, I believe a Peverell-first pilot could be the right way to test what works and deliver real improvements.”

MP Luke Pollard said as an Argyle supporter he loved to see Plymouth win at Home Park but, for local residents, home games could mean inconsiderate parking, cars blocking roads and few spaces left for local people to park near their homes.

“This study is the right next step to find a new solution to match day parking woes.”

 The initial feasibility study is expected to report back this summer.