Parking : What's the answer?

[Tim Lund]

Marathon:

I don't think I did misunderstand - I just think 'creeping death' was exaggerated. In a way I'm pleased to know that Wandsworth and Southfields are not necessarily more vibrant than here, but I don't think they're dead, either. They didn't seem like that the last time I was there, and the traffic coming back - late at night, by bus was fairly heavy.

I'm glad you don't find car ownership stressful - it was just something to factor into the general decision as to whether you or anyone chooses to own a car. Considerations such as the cost of petrol, massive hikes in insurance, servicing etc. are perhaps more quantifiable. I do appreciate that cars are very convenient, in many cases superb bits of technology and styling which people naturally enjoy owning, but life not owning a car has its advantages.

On the subject of StreetCar - have you ever considered joining to cover those occasions when you feel it would be convenient to have a second car? If you're in a one driver household, this will not apply, in which case it's still possible to treat it as a hypothetical question. But for families which need a car regularly, but have occasional extra needs, it would make sense.

Back to CPZs - the question is fairly straight forward - it's a matter of seeing if most of the people in a large enough area want it or not. It has its pros and cons, but the general experience elsewhere is that once one is set up, residents don't want to go back. That might make it 'creeping', but the creeping acceptance of what people in general want doesn't seem such a bad thing to me.

[Wispy Wonder]

With regards to a creeping death, I'm afraid there already is one. When I can't park on Homecroft Rd, I have to park in the neighbouring roads. In doing so, residents there have to park elsewhere, and so the ripple spreads outward. The situation will only get worse, as the council person I spoke to said, the ELL is only going to get busier, with more commuters and more parked cars. Something will have to happen eventually. It won't just be around Newland Park that parking becomes impossible, it'll be the Thorpes and anywhere near the station.

As for people driving to the station, one old banger I often see parked outside is driven from the Tredown road end of Newlands Park. Unless the owner has mobility issues, that's utter laziness.

Eagle, you sound like someone after my own heart. The dumping ground you refer to is a constant irritation. I've spotted people coming from houses on Homecroft and Tredown and dropping stuff there - and all have left with fleas in their ears. Honestly - some people!!

[JRobinson]

what about a commuter park and ride shuttle bus service from SavaCentre to Cobbs corner?

I've never seen the JS car park full!

[Eagle]

Wispy W , as you say Homecroft , Venner , Tredown , Wiverton , Byne and Newlands already chock ablock. Also Penge East Station not far away.
Believe you should contact The Council and suggest they contact all residents to Vote on CPZ.

With regards to EDF dump next to 71. EDF to move items whn contacted ( after few weeks ). It has been pointed out to them probably cheaper to put a tall fence up.

Good Luch with this.

As I said known the road very well since I was about 4 ( 1953 ) and have and do still know many residents. Lovely road but being ruined by this selfish parking.

[jackieboo]

If you have a lovely front garden with nice planters and a small rockery and wonderful shrubs and a nice Flemish bond garden wall? Kiss it all goodbye by hiring a couple of skips and getting to work on building your very own off street parking bay. Knock your garden wall down and store the bricks and any associated aggregate in a spot local to where you will park and set out your drive using a spade and remove the cherished weedless bowling green grade turf and throw it in the skip.

Use a 14lb sledge-hammer to smash the handmade rare Victorian engineering bricks into hardcore and place onto the area set out earlier where the turf was once envied by all and sundry resided.

Visit a local builders merchants and make your choice of material for said car to be parked on.

Brick paver's, crazy paving or slabs or (Tarmac, Chav Option), the choice is yours. You'll also need some nice edging stones to ensure your newly laid drive does not break away from its boundary. The sand I'd recommend for this work is coarse sharp sand with a 5-1 ratio mix commonly known as 5 and 1 which equates to 5 shovels of sand 1 shovel of cement and sets rock hard.

Depending on the size of the drive I can have it sorted for you within 8-12 days at a guesstimate of £6000-£10000.

Bargain.

Or quite a lot of gravel, a lot more friendly, plus you can hear intruders! and rainwater soaks into the earth.

[Eagle]

Let us pray no one in Homecroft takes this option. Gardens are for plants or is that old fashioned.