The Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Warwickshire Council met on Friday 14 August 2026 to discuss a contentious parking variation order in Stratford-upon-Avon. After extensive public speaking and debate, the committee ultimately voted to implement the variation order, but with a commitment to review its impact after six months.

Parking Variation Order for Stratford-upon-Avon

The primary focus of the meeting was the call-in of the Portfolio Holder for Transport and Planning's decision to approve The Warwickshire County Council (District of Stratford-on-Avon) (Civil Enforcement Area) (Waiting Restrictions, On Street Parking Places and Residents' Parking) (Consolidation) (Variation No.11) Order 2025 (now 2026). This variation order proposed to allow residents within the town centre zone, currently eligible for S2 or S3 permits, to also apply for S4 permits.

Public Speaking:

Three members of the public addressed the committee. Mr Andrew Lee, representing residents who supported the proposal, expressed frustration at the delays in resolving the parking issue and urged the approval of Variation No.11 as a fair solution. Ms Anne Warren, also speaking for S2 residents, highlighted the theme of fairness and argued that parking demand was not being equitably shared. Conversely, Ms Andrea Cox, speaking for S4 residents, requested scrutiny of the evidence supporting Variation No.11, arguing that its impact on S4 residents had not been adequately assessed. She raised concerns about the survey evidence, the potential for S4 to become oversubscribed, and the safety and practicality of residents being displaced to distant parking locations.

Committee Discussion and Decision:

Councillor Lorraine Grocott, the local member and lead signatory of the call-in, emphasized her objective was to ensure decisions were based on robust evidence, noting concerns that some surveys had been conducted before previous measures (Variation No.9) were fully implemented. Phil Mitton, Senior Engineer – Minor Works, addressed issues with pay and display machines and confirmed that the lines and signs for Variation No.9 were in place.

Councillor Stephen Shaw, Portfolio Holder for Transport and Planning, acknowledged that there was no perfect solution but believed Variation No.11 was the fairest option. He highlighted ongoing work on a comprehensive parking policy and cautioned against further delays.

The committee considered recommendations from the Liberal Democrat group to refer the decision back to the Portfolio Holder for reconsideration due to concerns about survey evidence and undefined mitigations. These recommendations were lost.

An alternative proposal was then put forward and carried: to implement Variation No.11 as approved, but with a review of parking conditions in the affected area six months after implementation. The findings of this review would be reported back to the Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee and added to its work programme. This decision was carried by five votes to four.

Resolved:

The Committee resolved:

• To note the Portfolio Holder's decision to approve Variation No.11.
• To request that a review of the operation and impacts of the scheme be undertaken six months following implementation, with the findings reported back to the Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee and added to the Committee's work programme.

The meeting concluded at 11:04 am.