RE:parking on Melbourne grove....is it free??

[apmuso]

But BNG - the catchment for the schools means that any congestion you suffer is caused by your neighbours. What we're talking about is a perceived increase in commuter traffic from outside the area using our roads as car dumping grounds, just so their commute is a little less painful.

[BrandNewGuy]

Not so - these are private schools, so I doubt they travel any less distance than those you have from "outside the area". And I'm surprised you call Melbourne Grove a "dumping ground" - looks quite nice when I walk down it every day ;-)

[apmuso]

Fair enough re the schools. But presume it's only bad at 9 and 3.30?

You're right re MG - it's not a bad place to be (!) and clearly, we've lived this long without a cpz... All we can do is imagine what it must be like to park near your front door. Oh - the luxury....!!

[garnwba]

BNG - sounds a nightmare, should you wish to intoduce a parking scheme let me know and i'll vote in favour

Can i count on your vote for our proposed one?

[BrandNewGuy]

Thanks for the offer, but 'no' on both counts. A hassle it can be, but it's not worth the cash or pushing the problem onto someone else.

[Bobby P]

On the subject of turkeys voting for Christmas...

Once again, no one has some God-given right to park directly outside their house, and a CPZ will not improve anyone's chances if my experience of living under them is anything to go by.

Without a CPZ (in Camden) I could always find somewhere to park ultimately. When it was introduced, it led to endless bay suspensions, having to walk several roads away to check that our car was still "legally" parked and hadn't been ticketed or towed. Taking the risk of such towing every time we were away. And of course not being able to park in the neighbouring zone (next door road) as it was a different "number". A complete nightmare which massively reduced the quality of life.

I was a legitimate parking permit-holding resident, and yet - like all the neighbours - had numerous Council/parking enforcement run-ins and legal battles - endless challenges to over-exuberant, really dumb enforcement, which the Council eventually had to overrule in our favour. But only after hours spent running off to pounds, and being massively out of pocket for months until reimbursed for erroneous enforcement fines etc.

This is the norm if you live under a CPZ regime. Why on earth would anyone want to exchange free parking for this nightmare?

[peterstorm1985]

Just out of interest, how much would any of those keen on controlled parking be prepared to pay? And how close to their house would they expect to be able to park for that sum? There seem to be quite a few quoting instances of not being to extract toddlers/shopping directly outside their house but controlled parking won't sort that out. You may end up paying ?100 + for the privilege of parking a few streets away, just as you do at present. The poor commuters get blamed but the number of houses converted into flats (not to mention infill developments) in the last decade or so may mean there are more residents' cars than spaces already. Controlled parking always means a reduction in usable spaces so the situation could easily be worse not better, and you'll have had to pay for it.

[trizza]

@ Peterstorm1985

And whether households have more than one car. I'd dare say a few do.

What would be interesting is whether the council could get details of how many cars are registered in the catchment area for the CPZ. Presumably, they could get a good idea by asking the DVLA. They would simply provide a list of the addresses in the proposed catchment area to the DVLA and ask (I would hope this would not be too much of an undertaking for the DVLA but you never know...). Granted, the results may not be entirely accurate as some cars owned by residents would be registered to another address and other old residents may not have changed their addresses. However, it would probably be reasonably accurate.

Then simply compare this figure with the amount of "potential spaces". I presume the Council would have modelled this based on the length of the roads in the catchment area divided by a "standard car park space".

If the result is that there are just too many cars then that may be a factor that would weigh against a CPZ. But if the results are that say there is significant excess capacity then one conclusion to draw from this is that is all used by commuters and that could assist those in favour of a CPZ.

Am sure the council will say the above is too difficult, but honestly how long would it take the DVLA/Council to do. At least it would introduce some cold hard facts into the debate!

[james84]

I dont think you would even need to bother with this, you just have to walk down any of these streets before 7.45, and after 6pm on any weekday to see the differnce is available spaces, Similarly on the weekends when people are at home there is avery rarely a problem.

[Siduhe]

James can probably speak to this better than I can, but when we discussed this last time round and there was an informal survey of parking habits [by Councillors or the Council, not sure which], my understanding was yes, a small amount of commuter parking was identified. However, there was also a reasonable amount (more than the commuter parking) of "business" parking - i.e. people who work in the area or do business in the area. They also clear out at around 6pm.

I'm not sure if the hour restriction over lunchtime is going to be the same significant deterrent to that group.

Finally, I have to say my experience of the Melbourne Grove area in the evenings and weekends is that it's still difficult to find a space - there always seem to be more cars than spaces in that immediate area given the number I see cruising round quite late at night trying to park. So I question whether stopping commuter parking is really going to solve this issue in the way people think it will.

[peterstorm1985]

james84 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I dont think you would even need to bother with

> this, you just have to walk down any of these

> streets before 7.45, and after 6pm on any weekday

> to see the differnce is available spaces,

> Similarly on the weekends when people are at home

> there is avery rarely a problem.

It's interesting that you give a morning time as late as 0745 and evening as early as 6. This very much suggests that it is local businesses, not commuters, that are the problem.

(I'm not sure the weekend numbers are so relevant as second homes/parent visits may reduce the numbers)

[Bobby P]

Quick a check today, looking out of my window on Melbourne Grove on to Ashbourne Grove.

7.15pm. There are at least 7 free parking spaces I can see, within 15 yards of my front door. This is slightly more than average, I would say, but in general, I've never in 8 years of living here had a problem here with parking: at worst have had to park maybe 100 yards away, and then only on a very few occasions.

[nashoi]

Same here Bobby P the furthest I've had to park from my house is about 75 yards.

[Senor Chevalier]

I'm on corner of Melbourne Grove and East Dulwich Grove, and dead against a CPZ for all the reasons outlined by others above. Sure parking is sometimes a hassle but get over it. It would be worse with a CPZ and the zones are totally inflexible.

When I used to live in a CPZ. I once got home to find my car missing. I called the police as I presumed it had been stolen. Turned out it had been towed to the pound. It had been parked in the suspended bay outside my house. I had suspended the bay (hassle) as I was moving into my flat and needed to be able to park the van I had hired. So the bay was suspended for my express use and when I had finished moving I parked my car outside the flat (one of the few times this utopia was actually achieved).

Anyway no reason or logic would get my car released. I had to fork out ?400 (and the cost of a cab to the pound) and then battle with Camden Council to get the money back (which I managed eventually after various calls and letters).

Those in favour, you bring this on at your peril. If a CPZ gets introduced then I am moving to the swankier CPZ resisting end of Melbourne Grove...