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Parking controls in HOP
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Sparkles


Posts: 54
Joined: Oct 2012
Post: #1
14-01-2014 02:19 PM

I've just spent 25 minutes driving around looking for a parking space near my house, to no avail. At nearly seven months pregnant and with bags to carry, it's pretty infuriating.

I've never had to search quite that long and hard for a spot before but it's often tricky parking on my road, which is very near the station and the main HOP parade.

Perhaps I should be careful what I wish for, but today I can't help thinking some kind of residents-only parking restrictions would be rather nice around here. Anyone else agree?

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daveherne


Posts: 212
Joined: Jul 2012
Post: #2
14-01-2014 02:36 PM

i think the time is probably coming when some controls are needed. hope they reach all the way down grierson and ajoining roads though as would not want to be just outside any zone!

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nitoda


Posts: 43
Joined: Oct 2008
Post: #3
14-01-2014 02:45 PM

I'd probably agree in your circumstances. As I no longer have a car it's only an issue on the rare occasions we have visitors who drive. My main caveat would be that restricting parking gives the council a chance to charge you lots of cash and they STILL can't guarantee you a parking space.

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ma7nas


Posts: 5
Joined: Oct 2012
Post: #4
14-01-2014 04:18 PM

I too think some kind of permit would be a good idea, as I agree with Sparkles that it is very frustrating when you have small children and bags of shopping, or a pregnant partner, and having to park streets away and make multiple trips from the car to the house and back, especially in the cold and rain!

Maybe permit only Mon - Fri, for a couple of hours during the day would be an idea. That way commuters can't park there all day, but people can still come and use the shops on the parade outside of those hours.

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OakR


Posts: 216
Joined: Oct 2011
Post: #5
14-01-2014 04:58 PM

I think there was a (Maybe Lewisham Council) survey a while ago posted on here asking for people's views on it.

Personally where I lived before in West London, they had all day restrictions which made it a pain for people coming to visit etc.

I much prefer the restrictions as mentioned above 12-2pm during weekdays so commuters cannot park but friends \ builders etc can come around and park for free.

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Sparkles


Posts: 54
Joined: Oct 2012
Post: #6
14-01-2014 05:00 PM

Yep, a couple of hours in the middle of the day would be ideal.

What really irks me is there are two cars parked outside my house that haven't moved an inch since last week... I suspect they've parked there to be near the station and caught the train to Gatwick for some fun in the sun or snow.

*seethes enviously*

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daveherne


Posts: 212
Joined: Jul 2012
Post: #7
14-01-2014 05:05 PM

why not make a garden feature out of them and sprinkle some grass seeds :D

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Sparkles


Posts: 54
Joined: Oct 2012
Post: #8
15-01-2014 11:31 AM

Nice idea Daveherne. Although we've just had a leaflet through the door to say Lewisham are resurfacing the road tomorrow and Friday. Any cars parked in the way will be towed. Now that would be a shame for those cheeky holidaymakers...

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derbybill


Posts: 122
Joined: Jan 2010
Post: #9
15-01-2014 04:54 PM

Yes, Sparkles, do be careful what you wish for.
There was consultation on a Controlled Parking Zone a few years ago and it was rejected by local residents. These CPZs can be expensive and often cause even more parking problems in the streets just outside the zone.
Maybe it needs looking at again because of the increased use of HOP station, but as it has been said, it doesn't guarantee you a parking space. Something for your local councillors or candidates in the Lewisham elections in May?

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Southlonder


Posts: 119
Joined: Aug 2009
Post: #10
17-01-2014 01:47 PM

sorry to be the bringer of bad news but I have been told that it will be 2-3 years before controlled parking will be reviewed in HOP, it isn't seen as a high priority.

I know this because I am equally frustrated and hunted down the man at Lewisham council to give him an earful. If I could remember his name I would give it here.

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Iceman


Posts: 4
Joined: Sep 2013
Post: #11
17-01-2014 03:46 PM

I don't see that as bad news. Why people would want to pay £120 a year for a permit (and believe me that is what other councils charge) together with the inconvenience of having guests over and having to provide them with temporary passes I struggle to fathom. Balanced against the very slight inconvenience of parking 100m down the road there is a clear winner here. It's not like motoring is a steal as it is.

It's almost like people want to pay more to Lewisham council.

If you want to park outside your house, buy a house with a drive way.

Simple, No? Smile

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robbrockley


Posts: 91
Joined: Jun 2013
Post: #12
17-01-2014 08:53 PM

I do agree with Iceman. It so annoys me that residents think the road outside there house belongs to them - to belongs to all of us who pay our council charge and road tax. If I sometimes want to park near the station then I think I should be able to if there is a spare space. So I would be very very against controlled parking. I do wish people in general along the roads near the station would park more considerately. They don't think about the space they are taking related to the total space i.e. parking right up to the edge of a pull in driveway so that maybe two cars could get in the space rather than one. And we did vote on this not long ago and I recall it was a resounding no to controlled parking.

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OakR


Posts: 216
Joined: Oct 2011
Post: #13
17-01-2014 09:32 PM

Parking near me is not an issue (I live on a main road so we park around the corner), but I can see why it is for some people. I don't think people 'own' the road outside their houses, but I do think it's fair that people should on the whole be able to park near their house, especially if that has significantly changed in the last few years near overground stations etc. As I mentioned earlier I don't favour all day or weekend permits, but can see the case for 2 hour periods during the day to stop people parking all day.

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BringOutTheCranston


Posts: 81
Joined: Sep 2013
Post: #14
18-01-2014 11:18 AM

Is this really a problem or is it the case that you remember and get frustrated with the one time that you can't find a space and then forget every other time that you got home and parked without any problem.

If it's only the occasional problem then I'd suggest you don't want to get into a world of paying £120 (it's what Lewisham charges where they have these schemes) to alleviate the few times that you've struggled to park outside your house.

This post was last modified: 18-01-2014 11:19 AM by BringOutTheCranston.

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152047
No Longer Registered

Posts: 135
Joined: Jan 2011
Post: #15
18-01-2014 06:31 PM

Unfortunately, the debate on this issue is often driven by self-interest. Many of the anti lobby seem to think they have a right to park wherever and whenever they want. Comments like "should of bought a house with a drive in" and "no big deal in a 100m walk" aren't particularly helpful to someone who has to live with commuter parking on their doorstep.

As for the view that paying council tax grants entitlement to free parking that is a bit like saying car tax is the motorist's passport to the road.

Would it be too much to have a vote on a street by street basis?[/align]

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Southlonder


Posts: 119
Joined: Aug 2009
Post: #16
19-01-2014 10:48 AM

frankly although it does irk me, the weekends are car free on Garthorne Road, and I always get to park outside my house, and my car stays there all week when I am on the office.

Actually what REALLY irks me are neighbours who use two cars. I'm thinking about buying a nice German convertible to add to those outside my house all week, even less space for commuters Laugh

This post was last modified: 19-01-2014 10:49 AM by Southlonder.

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Sibelius


Posts: 63
Joined: Aug 2011
Post: #17
19-01-2014 11:22 AM

Thought about this today while prampushing - roads being resurfaced means a whole street of cars need to park somewhere else while it's happening, hence parking on your street temporarily I'd guess.

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davidl


Posts: 180
Joined: Oct 2007
Post: #18
20-01-2014 08:13 PM

While I do have a lot of sympathy for the original poster, I still feel that the drawbacks of a CPZ, particularly given the way that Lewisham tend to implement and administer them, far outweigh the benefits.

Before I came to HOP I lived in a couple of places with CPZ's. Space for car parking was probably more limited, partly because bays were clearly marked and people were prevented from parking dangerously close to corners and bends. If anything, the officiousness of the parking attendants was worse than we currently have here.

The logistics of having visitors with a car during the week, either family, friends or tradespeople, were painful, though on balance, I think that having a CPZ would definitely benefit people closer to the station.

Having been here for a dozen years, I am not sure that commuter parking has got significantly worse in that time, but not having lived in the worst-affected streets, I am not best-qualified to comment. I do wonder, for what it's worth, how much parking on the streets off HOP is commuter parking, and how far people actually travel to park there. In a way, I would be a lot more sympathetic about people coming a long way by car than those who save themselves a 10-minute walk home - for that I still think that the Perry Vale car park at FH should be opened up and made usable/reasonable.

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Medley


Posts: 87
Joined: Nov 2011
Post: #19
21-01-2014 10:40 AM

I agree with the be careful what you wish for points.

Having our house renovated at the moment, and tradespeople just being able to park is a Godsend.

We don't have a car, we use the Zipcar. There is no issue with parking on our street.

But we are below the rat run prevention barriers (in our case south of Honor Oak P station). When you're on the station side of those, it's a different issue - and there is commuter parking. Albeit not in huge numbers.

So if there is ever to be CPZ etc., I think it should be over only the relatively small areas it's needed, and for deterrent hours only rather than 24/7. CPZ charges no doubt only go one way - up! - and obviously create potential for revenue for the local authority with zealous/over-zealous enforcement too.

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shzl400


Posts: 729
Joined: Oct 2007
Post: #20
23-01-2014 09:12 AM

Another firm NO to CPZ from me too. They are a contagion - get one and drivers look for parking further afield, then that area gets a CPZ and so on, until there's no uncontrolled parking at all for miles around. Meanwhile the Council's laughing at £120 per household.

Also thinking about the previous poster's mention of Zipcar - if you use Zipcar, can you transfer your respark permit to them? Or are they exempt? (they should be!)

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