The experimental Controlled Parking Zone in Lower Belvedere is a year
old. Between Abbey Road and the railway line
every entry point to the Zone known as AW1 is marked with a sign to say that
there is no parking allowed between 10 and 4 Monday to Friday. There are
occasional stretches of double yellow lines but basically the whole area may be
used for parking but only after buying a residents’ permit. The area includes 14 cul-de-sac
turning circles
some of which are either fully marked with double yellows, half marked with
double yellows and some not marked at all
as if the scheme was designed by a demented numpty, as most probably it was.
But it works perfectly. There are no restrictive parking bays and the signs make
it very clear that no one can park without a permit and with every home having
at least one off-street parking space there are times when there are no cars in evidence at all.
To the south of Abbey Road things are very different despite the same
nomenclature of AW1. There are no signs to indicate on entry that parking is
restricted to permit holders only, instead there are marked bays with signs,
some of which give wrong information. Few houses in the zone have
off-street parking.
It is a disaster zone.
North of Abbey Road, permit holders can park pretty much anywhere but to the
south of Abbey Road only within a limited number of bays. The numpties have
divided the same zone into two with different sets of rules. A level of insanity reserved for highways staff.
On the plus side, commuters have been banished which was the main aim.
Adjacent to the zone the previously free all day parking zone has been restricted to four
hours. There is no adjacent housing to be considered. This is sheer bloody
mindedness by Bexley Council operating fully to its vindictive and spiteful agenda.
Once again the commuters are vanquished, The question is; where to?
The answer is in fact very close to home. Almost a mirror image of the area
between Abbey Road and the railway is Alsike Road and its turn offs to the north
of the railway. Except for a short stretch of double yellows on Alsike Road
there are no parking restrictions at all.
Commuters take full advantage of it to the detriment of residents. Their
complaints have so far fallen on deaf ears.
AW1 came about because of pressure from residents picked up by Labour
Councillors Sally and Jeremy. Thamesmead residents are going to have to be belligerent too.
Where’s Larry?
Very few yellow lines but they park on them anyway. Zig-zags and footpaths too.