Parking problems

[monkeyarms]

To be honest, the CPZ does not even need to be an all out CPZ. When I lived in New Eltham near the train station, the CPZ was simply from 0900-1030 which completely screws the commuter parkers without having too much impact on residents and visitors. It also means the parking wardens only need to do one sweep of the roads in that hour and a half and can then move on to other areas needing more monitoring.

It's Not rocket science

Seems like a very sensible idea!

[Eagle]

Do not park 10 metres from a junction rule is abused wholesale in our area. People park right up to junction meaning sight restricted for motorists .

Would love Police/ Wardens to one day book all cars within the 10 metre area. Money for old rope. They would make a great profit that day.

I believe when CPZ's imposed then parking bays are marked and the area near the junction is verboten. Seems a winner all
round.

[P1971]

With regards to the CPZ consultation in FH as a resident I was against this as the Road I live in (Rockbourne Rd) was just outside the CPZ area intended. My Road is already filled with commuters parking & this would have been a disaster for me as a resident, as a trader my shop is on Dartmouth Rd & If I had to park there I would probably have had a different view.

I walk to work so my opinion is based on where I live, not work.

The Roads/Streets covered in the FH CPZ consultation were:

Dartmouth Rd
Albion Villas Rd
Amroth Cl
Benson Rd
Bird in Hand Passage
Cleeve Hill
Clyde Vale
Dartmouth Place
Derby Hill
Derby Hill Cr
Devonshire Rd
Elliott Bank
Ewelme Rd
Featherstone Ave
Forestholme Cl
Green Cl
Honor Oak Rd
Horniman Dr
Knapdale Cl
Longfield Cr
Radlet Ave
Round Hill
Sydenham Park
Sydenham Park Rd
Sydenham Rise
Taymount Rise
Thorpewood Ave
Tyson Rd
Westwood Park
Westcombe Terr

[JRobinson]

...
I can tell you that the ONLY space ever available near me is the designated disabled bay which nobody ever parks in....

Is this space on the main road? as part of shopping parking spaces? Is it a single disabled space outside someones house in a residential road? Have you watched it 24/7/52 - could you prove that 'nobobdy ever parks in' it?

I say this, as if it's on the main road, it'll be there to enable disabled shoppers to go shopping and park near the shops, and yes it might only be used very infrequently - but is still necessary.
if it's specifically for a disabled person on a residential street - they might only park there when you're not looking, or they might have moved and don't need the space anymore.
If you can prove to the council that a specific person has moved house, and no longer needs the disabled bay, they will remove the traffic order, and put it back to whatever is appropriate.
it could be that it is there to allow a private ambulance to park to drop off/pick up, at various times of day, but only 2 or 3 minutes at a time, and you've just never seen that happen.
don't just assume that it's not needed (even though it might not be).

CPZs do work, but if they push commuter parking further out, then the amount of cars will be less than previously - if it's still too much, then you push it a bit further, and contiue to do so untill the convenience of parking near the station is outweighed by not being near enough to the station - people will get the idea eventually, and they'll change their behaviour - probably by parking near a station further out from London, or cycling, or something.
but to work they have to be enforced, and this costs money, which they get from charging residents a fee to have a permit to park there. and of course they get money from fines from people parking illegally.

(on a side note it is well known that many sections of local govt do not make money, and 'Parking' is one exception where they actually are a revenue creating department, often funding other highways/council projects with any 'profits' they make.)

[Eagle]

I agree JR , CPZ's do work if properly policed.

As well as freeing up parking spaces , restricting selfish station parkers , will also reduce traffic levels locally.

Go on Lewisham , no further waffling , introduce CPZ's across the borough. You know it makes sense.

[Eagle]

Is Tredown going to be parking free in the future. If so great improvement

Perhaps Venner and Homecroft could follow suit.

[montjuic56]

Parking free? in Tredown in the future? what do you mean by that? it's is free already unfortunately!

[Eagle]

Mont

Sorry you misunderstood.

I was saying ought to be controlled parking throughout Sydenham to deter the selfish station all day parkers.

[montjuic56]

I agree with that

[bensonby]

Mont

Sorry you misunderstood.

I was saying ought to be controlled parking throughout Sydenham to deter the selfish station all day parkers.

Why is it selfish to park on an unrestricted public highway? The person who parks there has just as much right to park there as anyone else. If you want a guaranteed parking space at home then buy a house with a drive. It's not rocket science.

[Eagle]

Bensonby

It is selfish because they should have gone from a local station rather than drive miles and dump their car for the day , disrupting local commerce.

Surely CPZ's throughout would be a benefit to all locals.

[bensonby]

If it works out cheaper and/or more convenient for them then it is common sense rather than selfishness?


Perhaps the people who park near local shops disrupting people who are trying to get to work are selfish, to use the same logic

[SandyP]

I think this is a tricky subject all round. I live in Sydenham in a terraced house and we're a 1 car household, and it's very difficult to park near our house, because our neighbours have 2-3 cars per house. I don't think that these days you can really expect to park outside your own house unless you have a driveway. Most of these houses pre-date cars. Whilst I see that a CPZ might help some residents, I still wouldn't want one in my street as I think it just moves the problem.
That all being said, I think everyone is assuming that people parking near stations are doing so just out of sheer laziness, and I'd have to disagree. I used to be able to walk to Sydenham station, but now as a working parent of 2 children, I have to be able to get them both to nursery and school, then me to a station and still be at work before 9am. The only way I can do that is by driving all over SE26 before 8am before finally parking near Penge East to get my train to work. I would rather not have to, but it simply isn't do-able on foot or by public transport. I don't use the station car park simply because the extra 5-10 minutes it would take me to get there would mean I miss my train and it puts me the wrong side of the tracks for the after work reverse child collection responsibilities, within a very tight time frame.

[_HB]

Extremely depressing of course but Sandyp hits the nail on the head. People should not be making short trips by car all over the Borough but the local authorities don't provide people with an obvious and good alternative. So the kiddies are safely cocooned in their steel box while the rest of us have to suffer the pollution, congestion and general spoiling of our public spaces. No-one is seriously committed to changing this status quo.

[Eagle]

HB

i agree that sad but Sandy does have a point.

Why on earth are there bot nurseries and schools in short walking distance. Children should be able to walk to school.

No wonder Sydenham is mired in traffic .

Certain roads , especially Venner Rd , Newlands Park and those between.

Surely they must be ripe for CPZ's

[gillyjp]

Apologies if I appear to be getting on my soap box again about this and with a nod towards those few who think that drivers have a right to park anywhere legally on the road. However for the last week, perhaps longer, there have been two cars parked and not moved (a people carrier and another saloon of some sort both in good condition and therefore not presumably dumped) directly outside our house.

This leads me - rightly or wrongly - to assume the owners of said vehicles have parked up and gone on holiday for a period of time and certainly for over a week it would seem. I guess it is more cost effective for some to park in this manner with the ease of access here to the station than access expensive airport parking. Our road has now become a cheap car park for the discerning, but selfish holidaying car owner.

[Eagle]

Gilly
You have a point. I think the law about kerb parking has hardly changed since the introduction of the motor car .

Surely the time has come to review this.

[gillyjp]

Eagle I agree. Certainly we need a CPZ on residential roads around stations up to London but I'm not sure LB Lewisham is listening to us as residents. I have put my case for review to Lewisham as advised on STF earlier but I think it has fallen on 'deaf ears' or LB Lewisham are deliberately 'cocking a deafen' as my dear old Dad used to say. Not sure what else we can do..... very frustrating.

[Eagle]

Gilly

You would have thought that LBL would welcome a new revenue earner , but seems they do not need any cash.

Come on Lewisham ,Venner Road and adjacent roads crying out for action.

[JRobinson]

how about some station/commuter parking in the Bell Green Retail park?
walk from there to Lower Syd, or a bus to Sydenham, Catford or Penge Stations.

I guess people are just either lazy, or want free parking.