Uninhibited parking Cobbs and Lawrie park rd

Nigel · Post by **Nigel** » 14 Jan 2015 22:43

Is there something going on this evening in the high street ? There is a mess of parking on pavements and double yellows as well as right next to crossings .
Something going on - couldn't be Zanzibar by any chance ?
A very good evening
Nigel

Gaddison · Post by **Gaddison** » 14 Jan 2015 23:13

I think your right Nigel. Lots of noise from people and music coming from the club, along with the further delight of car horns tooting!

Zoelee · Post by **Zoelee** » 14 Jan 2015 23:14

Looks like the Zanzibar crowd to me - Hanging around their cars and parking on the pavements on Westwood Hill... How come they get away with that?

biscuitman1978 · Post by **biscuitman1978** » 14 Jan 2015 23:17

Yes, there's a long queue outside the club.

Gaddison · Post by **Gaddison** » 14 Jan 2015 23:26

Ah jeez, sounds like it's going to be a long loud night

gillyjp · Post by **gillyjp** » 14 Jan 2015 23:33

Oh well so much for all the big claims about attracting a more mature crowd who won't be rowdy! Can't work out whether they're just all going in or leaving. Parking all over the pavements and on corners with double yellow lines. Shouting and car horns beeping. Any comments from the 'new' management Lee Jasper? Even the heavy rain is not keeping them from causing a disturbance.

stuart · Post by **stuart** » 15 Jan 2015 00:40

My partner was delayed coming home from work at 9 pm by completely irresponsible and illegal parking which had completely blocked the road leaving at least five buses stacked and having to reverse in Lawrie Park Road.

Absolute chaos and creating delays which will impact the whole routes.

If it is the Zanzibar then they have attracted socially irresponsible people and completely failed to control them.

Will we get an explanation, apology and the bus companies some restitution for this debacle. And what will be done to stop a recurrence? Or is removal of the licence the only option?

Stuart

corvid · Post by **corvid** » 15 Jan 2015 00:43

stuart wrote:Will we get an explanation, apology and the bus companies some restitution for this debacle. And what will be done to stop a recurrence? Or is removal of the licence the only option?

I asked the parking guy what was going on - apparently its someone's funeral party / wake.

That's the explanation anyway. As for an apology, I doubt it.

Tonight's activity is clearly a "special event", and given the nature of it, I would suggest some tolerance is probably advised. I know a banging party midweek is probably not how most people envisage a wake, but hey, maybe I'll change my will...

metter90 · Post by **metter90** » 15 Jan 2015 00:52

HI Everyone,
Long time reader first time poster. I've just walked home from work in he wind and the rain surrounded by people shouting at each other. The petrol station is overrun with cars. Feeling sorry for anyone on Peak Hill Avenue. The parked cars go all the way up to Peak hill. Its a WEDNESDAY night for gods sake. Its been said before but the clubs location is just not appropriate for the area. Its a residential family area, truly disgusting. Makes it worse that its midweek.

S x

gillyjp · Post by **gillyjp** » 15 Jan 2015 07:07

Sorry but the 'event' being a wake is not, in my book anyway, an excuse or justifies this sort of behaviour. Totally unacceptable. Also points to a complete inability by the club's new management to control the situation and prevent chaos.

If they can't control their patrons over holding a wake on a rainy week day then what is the likelihood of any other late night social event being kept peaceful? I contacted the licensing sergeant last night and he was on duty and witnessed the chaos first hand . He will be making a report and quite frankly this will not bode well for any future requests for late night extensions me thinks. New management?- same old irresponsibility and lack of respect for long suffering residents.

biscuitman1978 · Post by **biscuitman1978** » 15 Jan 2015 10:07

Can I suggest that anyone with concerns about last night's event at Zanzibar emails Jim Abbott, the licensing sergeant for the area, to make him aware.

Can I also suggest that you copy the email to local ward councillors and Lewisham Council's licensing team.

Email addresses are:
jim.abbott@met.police.uk
licensing@lewisham.gov.uk
cllr_chris.best@lewisham.gov.uk
cllr_liam.curran@lewisham.gov.uk
cllr_rachel.onikosi@lewisham.gov.uk

biscuitman1978 · Post by **biscuitman1978** » 15 Jan 2015 11:27

biscuitman1978 wrote:Email addresses are:
jim.abbott@met.police.uk
licensing@lewisham.gov.uk
cllr_chris.best@lewisham.gov.uk
cllr_liam.curran@lewisham.gov.uk
cllr_rachel.onikosi@lewisham.gov.uk

Correction: Matt McGrath has replaced Jim Abbott. His email address is matt.mcgrath@met.pnn.police.uk

stuart · Post by **stuart** » 15 Jan 2015 11:41

Will try and persuade SWMBO to do so biscuitman.

Does anybody know if any of the illegally parked and obstructing vehicles were ticketed last night?

I ask because in fairness to Zanzibar the power of their stewards is limited. If being socially irresponsible did have a £120 ticket or whatever and the certainty of it being levied might, just might make them at least park with some consideration to the locality. It would be in Zanzibar's interest to encourage Lewisham to have sufficient ticketing staff on duty. It should more than pay for itself. It would be a good first step.

Otherwise Zanzibar, unless you stop this regular disruption you are just going to have to close. Even Sydenham Festival are not allowed to disrupt traffic and that is a charity working for the community and open to all the community. A commercial operation should not be able to cause this to happen for private profit.

Most people in Sydenham want other people to have fun (or even a wake). The occasional over exuberance is forgiveable. A second chance is quite reasonable. But IMHO you are approaching the last chance saloon. And when you get there you may find it unlicensed.

Stuart

gillyjp · Post by **gillyjp** » 15 Jan 2015 12:19

Here here Stuart! They've been given chance after chance - time to close it down. The authorities,by that I mean both the Council and the police, need to act in favour of the local residents who have suffered enough. If the clientele to this club is so vast that it causes mayhem and chaos every time there is a function then it needs to be relocated somewhere appropriate - middle of a field would be my suggestion.

stuart · Post by **stuart** » 15 Jan 2015 12:57

gillyjp wrote: The authorities,by that I mean both the Council and the police, need to act in favour of the local residents who have suffered enough.

Its more than that Gilly. It is the safety of everybody passing through that area and also all those that depend on one of TfL's key 24/7 routes. One that their clients might have wish was running if car parking is an issue.

I have a funny feeling that a line (and I'm not just talking of the double yellow variety) has been crossed. Have Zanzibar woken up to it yet?

Stuart

Eagle · Post by **Eagle** » 15 Jan 2015 13:46

It beggars belief the Council have allowed them to make like terrible for the locals yet again.

Who exactly do the council claim to represent. Cannot be anyone living near this disaster.

The Councillors all deserve to be evicted at the next election.

gillyjp · Post by **gillyjp** » 15 Jan 2015 15:41

stuart wrote:
gillyjp wrote: The authorities,by that I mean both the Council and the police, need to act in favour of the local residents who have suffered enough.
Its more than that Gilly. It is the safety of everybody passing through that area and also all those that depend on one of TfL's key 24/7 routes. One that their clients might have wish was running if car parking is an issue.

I have a funny feeling that a line (and I'm not just talking of the double yellow variety) has been crossed. Have Zanzibar woken up to it yet?

Stuart

Stuart - of course you are correct. It won't be the first time this place has caused unacceptable problems for the transport services passing through Sydenham either. I remember that the chaos from an event sometime ago caused a bus to take a detour rather than run the gauntlet of the revellers/punters who had spilled out on the street and also parked their cars in the middle of the road to get to the event.

I also agree that the relevant authorities should ensure that cars parked illegally are ticketed and fined/towed away. No matter that it is beyond the working hours of most local authority officers - it is still an opportunity to hit them in the wallet and possibly catch a few drink drivers leaving the venue at the same time. That will need a concentrated and united effort from both Police and Lewisham Council so that will not be happening. We will probably be told that they don't have the funding to monitor this on that sort of scale. But I don't understand how they are getting away with it. If I decided to park my car on a corner where there are double yellow lines or on the pavement, or on the forecourt of the garage there - I'd soon be moved on. Anyway - most people have the manners and simple courtesy towards their fellow human beings not to behave in this way. The Zanzibar clientele seem to have no such concerns as they keep doing it and are allowed to keep getting away with it. They seem to have this deep sense of entitlement to behave in this way and are almost encouraged to do so because of the lack of action by the authorities concerned - they seem almost scared to act.

I do hope that the Licensing Officer will go straight to the relevant committee to recommend that this place is closed down once and for all. It is an utter disgrace.

Eagle · Post by **Eagle** » 15 Jan 2015 16:08

I agree. Utter disgrace and utter contempt for the residents and the law.

Perhaps the place should be closed 24/7 as they seem to be showing derisory contempt for one who lives in the area.

Nigel · Post by **Nigel** » 15 Jan 2015 19:17

Biscuitman,
thanks as ever for contact details - I have pinged this off to Matt McGrath and cc'ed councillors .
If police and council made it clear that there would be parking attendants on duty from 8pm until 3am , and that they would be dishing out tickets and towing the really dangerous/obstructive vehicles we might get somewhere.
I also wonder why we tolerate cars else where in Sydenham parked right on the pavement as though they wre some kind of private driveway ? Surely this gives the message to a certain type of person that when you go to the Zanzibar its kind of alright to do it ? I have no qualms or truck with this stupid " its all income generation , innit? " nonsense. If Lewisham can bring in a few million from idiots that park on our pavements or block our roads then that's a win win in my book

Dear Matt
I am bringing to your attention the disruption caused by patrons at the Zanzibar nightclub on the evening of Wednesday 14th January.
Those that live closer by will no doubt be in touch about disturbances later in the night but I am writing about the disruption to traffic I saw whilst out jogging . If you read the post on the Sydenham Forum , https://sydenham.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=12434 you will see lots of examples of double parking, parking on double yellow lines, on pavements , and also blocking streets to traffic and disruption to TfL buses .
As you will be aware there has been huge local resentment towards this club and the way it is run - they have I understand a new management team but first event they " organise" , I understand a wake , we are treated to the same display .
Several good suggestions were put forward by people that forum that I would like to suggest:

have parking attendants able to give fixed penalty notices
tow any vehicle dangerously parked
advise the " management " of this club that there will be active enforcement despite the event being after normal hours

I realise that there are not ordinarily the resources to deal with this as one would wish but there is huge scope to income-generate and therefore a deterrent presence of police and parking attendants should be affordable .
I have been to previous meetings , with your predecessor present - it is clear that the council and police are equally concerned by the utter disregard this business shows for local residents and basic rule of law - in fact anything other than making money out of others' misery.

A very good evening
Nigel

Eagle · Post by **Eagle** » 17 Jan 2015 11:05

Nigel

Have you received a response on this extremely worrying matter.

It seems strange that the powers that be have decided to totally ignore the views of all the locals. One must assume none of them live close.

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