WITH two weeks to go before a Residents Parking Zone starts in Kingsdown, two-thirds of people have not applied for permits.

That means hundreds of residents could face fixed penalty fines just for parking their cars after the scheme starts operation on Tuesday, January 4.

Bristol City Council approved the zone in July, despite arguments about exactly how many people supported the idea.

The scheme is being introduced in a bid to tackle parking problems in the area. It means residents within the zone will have to pay for the right to park, £30 a year for one car, £80 on top of that for a second and a further £200 for a third.

The deadline for permit applications was December 10, but as of Friday, 69 per cent of the 2,700 households in the area have still not applied for one. This means residents who park on street are at risk of receiving a £50 penalty charge notice each time they park within the scheme when it becomes operational.

People now have until January 4 to at least apply for a permit.

Permit application forms and reminders have been sent to 2,700 homes and 125 businesses. Residents can also apply for 100 visitors’ permits per household.

The first year’s residents’ permits will last for 13 months, giving one month’s grace in case of teething problems.

The Kingsdown scheme is the first to be introduced in Bristol and will operate from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, excluding bank and public holidays.

It is being used to test the principal of RPZs in the city and could lead to more being introduced elsewhere.

The council had original wanted to have two pilots, with the other in Clifton Wood. This was voted down by council after the majority of residents in the area said they didn’t want it.

The public response was less clear in Kingsdown.

Of the 1,037 responses received during the statutory consultation in May, 995 were against and 42 were in support.

Public consultation in January showed 203 of those who responded within the final zone were in support and 200 were against.

At the cabinet meeting that saw the plans approved, many people made statements arguing RPZs were not wanted or needed in Kingsdown.

Others claimed it was the only way to stop the area being used as a daytime car park by commuters and argued many of the objections came from people living outside the zone.

Council spokeswoman Kate Hartas said: “We will be enforcing from January 4 and residents will need to prove they have applied if their permit has not arrived. Otherwise, they will be liable for a fixed penalty charge of £50 each time they park in the area.”

The pilot scheme has cost £589,000, and the council has repeatedly stressed RPZs are self-funding and not a money-making exercise.

Once the scheme is operational it will be allowed to bed down for six months before it is reviewed and possible amendments considered.