I am slowly turning into Victor Meldrew as I battle to find a space near my house, or reluctantly vacate a treasured space to run an errand or go to work! I am hoping my post here will alleviate my frustrations/annoyance/anger I constantly feel about parking anywhere near my front door. I know this can be a contentious topic but I am raising it again in the hope something is done to sort out the problem. I live on the Newlands Park end of
Tredown Road and have done for 4 years. When I moved here parking was not a big issue. There was always a space very close to my house. Acceptable. This passed year the problem has become untenable, for me anyway. Commuters now park on this road as well as NP and Homecroft. Local workers, I.e. Estate agents also use the local roads as their personal car park. I have a daily battle to park near my house, constantly having to park so far away. Does anyone else have any thoughts on this or am I a lone Victor? I desperately want the council (Lewisham or Bromely) do make this area permitted. We only have one car in our whole house of 3 flats and i need it for my work. Yet this daily battle just causes me so much bloody angst every time I come home late or come home with heavy bags etc. yesterday I had to cart my garden waste half way up Wiverton to get I the car. I may as well have carried on walking to the dump! Rant over. For now.
I know this area very well and can appreciate your problem. Especially since the new Line parking spaces have got fewer and fewer .
I know Homecroft especially and you could usually get a spot at the bottom but that is even difficult nowadays.
I know you will not appreciate it but too many people own cars in an area not built for cars. Even installing a CPZ you might find you have it no easier , but I suppose could not be any worse.
Do a survey and find out. I've done something similar in a friend's street in Camberwell. Turned out only about 50% of the cars in the street were residents.
Although we didn't manage to get the CPZ because the neighbours didn't want it. Idiots.
It's a problem anywhere near a station. While I don't generally mind people parking and commuting I have noticed a worrying trend in people parking in the most stupid places - the junction with Newlands Park and Westbourne Road is getting silly, cars are often parked on the curved part where the tw roads meet. Some yellow lines here and some enforcement would be good.
I have done some curtain twitching research.... The houses directly opposite and next to me are a mix of house and flats. Out of c18 homes there are only 7 cars! So it's not too many residents. It is commuters and businesses. I am going to write a neighbourly letter and see what I get back... I personally favour permits.
It's extremely selfish behaviour. You are being asked to pay the external costs of commuter behaviour.
Speak to your neighbours and see if you can get some support together for a CPZ with residents exemptions. It should be the default in all the streets around the station.
I've been wanting to write about this for a very long time but know its a difficult subject.
Here's what I drafted months ago:
Is it time to talk about parking on our area?
Firstly, apologies for this post. This is my first post but I do read and keep up with what is going on in the area. I am also aware that discussion of cars on this forum can be fraught.
Over the past year I have noticed an increase of people parking in this area. I have seen that many are people who park and walk to the station. I have also seen what appears to be a company parking large amounts of Ford Focuses around which makes me wonder what is going on. All of these Fords have the same air freshener hanging from the mirror, all are completely empty and they will appear quite suddenly parked one after the other and be around for several weeks then vanish for a week and then reappear. I understand that SG Smith park loaner cars as well as their staff cars in the area, particularly in the Thorpes. I often see Enterprise rental vehicles sitting taking up spaces on the residential streets. This has meant that the roads have become very clogged. I also know several of the owners of businesses on Sydenham Road, and a wholesale flower company with large white trucks that take up several spaces each, all park their cars here daily rather than use the public lot. Clearly now, I am not the only one who has noticed this.
I have also noticed along Silverdale that, not only, are there more cars parking but, some pretty interesting liberties are being taking as to what constitutes a parking space. I have seen entrances to housing estates partially blocked and other inventive ways of leaving the car to head to the train. As a result I’ve also seen a phenomenon of local residents putting their bins out on the street to reserve “Their” parking spot. While I can grasp that many are attempting to stop commuters from clogging the streets, it makes me wonder... if I live on the same road am I meant to park my car several streets away from my house so to preserve someone else’s presumed personal parking space?
Lastly, in the past few months there has been a huge increase of mini-cabs parking in the Thropes. They use to park up and down Mayow road. Apparently there has been a change of law so the can park up anywhere. Still, they park at the corners on double yellow. Often blocking the ability to pull out safely. I mentioned this to a few of the drivers as I was trying to get past. The shrugged and dismissively and slightly aggressively said they were all picking someone up the house they were parked near. However, they are there every single day.
I am well aware that as these are not resident only streets and that anyone who wishes can park is legally entitled to. However, it is when the local streets begin to get very congested. I wouldn’t advocate applying for permit only parking but I am wondering if there is anyone else who has noticed this and if there is anything to be done?
One thing a CPZ will do , if properly enforced , would restrict the number of places by maybe a third. Each place will be marked out and there would be a long gap at end of road .
I do wonder why any Council short of money does not impose fee on all street parking. I know historically this has been free , but I wonder why , the road outside your property does not belong to the resident
Bunty good luck with your Neighbourhood Consultation. I wonder if any Newland Parkers are also using Tredown ????
coll wrote:I have also seen what appears to be a company parking large amounts of Ford Focuses around which makes me wonder what is going on. All of these Fords have the same air freshener hanging from the mirror, all are completely empty and they will appear quite suddenly parked one after the other and be around for several weeks then vanish for a week and then reappear.
Exactly the same here with the air freshener. Except this being Upper Sydenham - we usually get BMWs! Absolutely bare inside like a showroom car. Not like ordinary parked cars. It is clearly somebody running a car business at our expense and inconvenience.
Where are those little brats who let down tyres when you need 'em
Is there appetite for getting a campaign together, with the backing of Sydenham.org to highlight these issues to the Council and try to get something done?
These issues are London wide and there are lots of other groups tackling similar problems with some success.
I'm not sure how relevant this is, but the borough are about to launch consultations about establishing a large CPZ in Forest Hill and upper Sydenham (between Dartmouth Road and Kirkdale) - see http://www.se23.com/forum/showthread.ph ... 014&page=2
What some councils do instead of the CPZ process they single yellow line a street and enforce that street between 11.30 and 12pm thus forcing commuters to find somewhere else to cause issues for residents.
Just answered a knock at the door requesting I move my car as it blocking access to the fire bright yellow hydrant that needs to be repaired. Except it isn't mine. Today I think it belongs an ordinary out of borough commuter. Luckily we are not on fire.
People nowadays just don't care where they park or what the lethal consequences (see my old thread about corner parking). Enforcement in residential areas appears non-existent. What when we moved here was not a problem is now real and getting worse every year. We do need to do something. If that is a CPZ then it should be for the whole of Sydenham otherwise we just shift/intensify the problem for the next street.
Providing it reduces the demand more than the space it would be better for residents. Who would be uncomfortable with that and why?
stuart wrote:Just answered a knock at the door requesting I move my car as it blocking access to the fire bright yellow hydrant that needs to be repaired. Except it isn't mine. Today I think it belongs an ordinary out of borough commuter. Luckily we are not on fire.
People nowadays just don't care where they park or what the lethal consequences (see my old thread about corner parking). Enforcement in residential areas appears non-existent. What when we moved here was not a problem is now real and getting worse every year. We do need to do something. If that is a CPZ then it should be for the whole of Sydenham otherwise we just shift/intensify the problem for the next street.
Providing it reduces the demand more than the space it would be better for residents. Who would be uncomfortable with that and why?
Stuart
Some are worried about more state interference in their lives and cost even if it is 48p a week or whatever.
It reminds me of The Simpsons episode on education with the Headmaster saying to all the parents we can do this extra and this and this to huge cheers. It's going to cost you 17cents a week extra and the parents rioted against the tax rise.
I live in Upper Sydenham just off Kirkdale and don't own a car, but have started to notice that when friends or relatives come to stay they are finding it increasingly difficult to find a space. I am against the 'dumping' of cars on residential streets by businesses and the ridiculous antics of some commuters but checking the CPZ prices on the Lewisham website has given me pause for thought. If our guests arrived on Friday lunchtime and left Monday morning it looks like it would cost £20 in temporary permits (depending on whether the 'full day' option lasts 24hrs or applies to a calendar day).
