Planning
An aspect of CARA’s objectives - the “protection and enhancement of amenities within the CARA Area” – can be significantly affected by planning decisions by Kingston Council. CARA seeks to ensure that relevant planning proposals are drawn to people’s attention to allow them to put their views to the Council before decisions are made. Where appropriate CARA can make a formal comment or objection to the Council.
Some current planning issues may be reported in the most recent CARA Newsletter or in CARA eNews, emailed monthly to CARA members.
CARA will also publicise planning applications for developments outside CARA area that may have significant impact for local residents, but normally North Kingston Forum will take the lead in commenting in such cases. CARA has representatives on North Kingston Forum.
CARA has a representative on the council’s Conservation Area Advisory Committee (CAAC), to monitor all planning applications within the CARA area. The CAAC meets every month to review all ‘live’ planning applications in the conservation areas of Kingston. The CAAC support or refuse each application, and advise officers and councillors accordingly. Generally they accept CAAC’s advice but not always! Information on the CAAC and its remit are given on the council’s website.
CARA does not follow up minor planning applications – such as loft extensions – unless there is a potentially significant impact; conflict with Conservation Area status, for example. Residents should make their own representations about a planning application that may affect them directly to the council. If you wish to object to or comment on a planning application, to make your intervention effective you should follow the correct procedure, which is set out here.
All planning applications within 250 metres of a property can be reviewed here.
Parking
All roads close to Canbury Gardens have controlled parking.
Parking arrangements within CARA area have a significant impact on residents and visitors.
Kingston Council website provides information about local street parking arrangements
CARA monitors proposals for any significant change to parking zones within the CARA area, or close enough to it to be likely to have a knock-on effect. CARA aims to bring those proposals to the attention of potentially affected residents.
Some current parking issues may be reported in the most recent CARA Newsletter or in CARA eNews, emailed monthly to CARA members.
If you wish to change the parking arrangements in your road we recommend that you organise your own survey of all residents/households in the area to be affected. As evidence for local support for the proposed change you should send Kingston Council the survey responses, which should cover at least 60% of the properties in the survey. Please keep CARA informed about your survey.
CARA will consider supporting a request for a change to parking arrangements within CARA area if more than 50% of the responses to the survey agree with the proposal, and if there would be no significant negative impact on parking in other roads in CARA area.