Sandringham Road, Sandringham - P5 goods vehicles loading zones

You can also find the latest project information at https://at.govt.nz/projects-and-initiatives/sandringham-road-goods-deliveries-improvements

Community Feedback

Thank you for helping us make better decisions for your neighbourhood, informed by your local knowledge.

We received seven submissions in total:

• Three through the online survey
• Four via email.

Summary of feedback:

• Six respondents indicated that the proposed changes would benefit the community. Of these, three also provided suggestions to improve the proposal.
• One respondent raised concerns about the reduction in customer parking spaces in the proposed area.

These are some of supportive comments:

• Easier and more efficient way to service local business without blocking access for regular cars and pedestrians and cyclists.
• Allow easier distribution of goods.

Below is a summary of your feedback and our responses.

Concerns

Concern that the conversion of parking spaces at 513-513A Sandringham Road into loading zones is removing customer parking, negatively affecting foot traffic and impacting local businesses in the building.

Our Response: While we appreciate your concerns regarding customer parking, Auckland Transport (AT) would like to clarify that the proposal only repurposes four existing spaces to create two loading zones in different locations on Sandringham Road. General parking on Sandringham Road and surrounding streets including Kitchener Road, Coyle Street, Halesowen Avenue, and Calgary Street remains available and will continue to operate on a first come, first served basis.

In addition, the spaces being converted to loading zones will remain available for public parking after 6pm each day.

It is also important to note that this proposal was developed in response to a request from the Sandringham Business Association and aligns with Auckland Transport’s observations that the local centre currently lacks a loading zone, resulting in delivery vehicles frequently parking illegally to service businesses.

For these reasons, we intend to carry on with the loading zone conversion to provide a legal, safe space for deliveries and to improve the overall traffic environment for anyone visiting this local centre.

Concerns about ongoing illegal truck parking directly outside 521-533 Sandringham Road. particularly near the bus stop and pedestrian zebra crossing. The proposed loading zones alone will not address these issues.

Our Response: We appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback on the proposal, as well as raising concerns about the ongoing issue of illegal truck parking hitting the shop canopies.

Our team recognises that these issues are largely occurring because there is currently no legal space for delivery vehicles to park. Once the proposed loading zones are in place, we expect these behaviours to reduce significantly.

The proposed 5‑minute loading time limit is insufficient for real‑world freight and retail delivery operations.

Our Response: We would like to clarify that a P5 time limit operates differently in a loading zone compared with a standard P5 parking space. In a general P5 area, any vehicle whether attended or unattended can stay for only five minutes.

In a P5 loading zone, however, a vehicle may remain for longer as long as the driver is actively engaged in loading or unloading.

Parking Officers begin the five minutes observation period only when the vehicle is left unattended.

Given that this loading zone serves a local centre where businesses operate along the main road, it is very unlikely that delivery vehicles will be left unattended for extended periods. Delivery drivers are typically observed returning to their vehicles every three to four minutes, meaning a longer time limit is generally unnecessary.

This approach is consistent with the majority of loading zones across the region. Longer time limits are applied only in specific situations, such as large commercial buildings where deliveries require significantly more time.

Suggestions to improve the project

Request additional preventative infrastructure such as bollards or highly visible protective barriers, to physically deter truck parking.

Our Response: While a physical barrier could help in the area where broken yellow lines are and where there’s an ongoing issue of illegal parking. However, it would significantly interfere with the bus lead out space that is essential for bus manoeuvring and maintaining smooth bus operations along this key route of Sandringham Road

• Request that Council treat this matter with urgency and address it before the loading zone changes are finalised. As the problem will otherwise persist.
• Request a meeting with Council.

Our Response: This matter has been treated as a priority and has been discussed with the relevant teams within Auckland Transport.

If you would like to discuss your concerns further, a meeting can be arranged with the project lead. We expect that the introduction of the loading zones, along with ongoing enforcement, will help address the issues raised.

Suggest the loading zone times should be 8am-5pm, rather than 6pm which is too late and would impact busy early-evening takeaway traffic. Enforcement would be difficult.

Our Response: Thank you for your suggestion to reduce the operational hours of the loading zone to 8am–5pm.

We understand the concern about early‑evening takeaway traffic and enforcement. However, parking restriction hours in New Zealand are generally standardised until 6pm. Keeping consistent hours helps ensure that drivers, including visitors from other areas, can easily understand and comply with parking rules as part of our region‑wide approach.

• These loading zones will operate Monday to Sunday, 8am–6pm. Outside these hours, the spaces will be unrestricted parking.