Archived on 6/5/2022

Pavement Parking on Kirkdale

Twitter

9 Nov '19

Reported recently on Twitter:

marymck

11 Nov '19

Please see the chain on SE23.Life too. More pix there of Kirkdale pavement parking. Reg numbers clearly visible, with some repeat offenders.

SE23.life

14 Nov '19

Update from Cllr Leo Gibbons, posted a moment ago on SE23.life: /CC @marymck

Hi all,

Yesterday, I and Cllr Davis toured various sites with Chris Avis our Parking Engineer. These included Longfield Crescent, Dartmouth Road and Kirkdale.

A summary…

Dartmouth Road

I lamented the lack of enforcement on Dartmouth Road and pointed out hotspots outside the Sylvan Post, Paddy Power, the job centre and the library. The parking infringements seem to be from short stays (as opposed to commuter parking) as vehicles load into shops during the day and patrons of the cafes and pubs park in the evening. It is school drop off parking outside the library.

The street is lined with double yellow lines and double yellow blips meaning no parking or loading at any time. Even as we stood on the road, we witnessed a vehicle illegally unloading near Boots.

Actions: The first step has been organised. We are scheduling an evening enforcement blitz and we hope that once some regular offenders get fined we will witness a noticeable drop off from pavement parking. If this does not work then we might have to look at imposing physical barriers, such as bollards on Dartmouth Road. However, we are concerned that these might damage the fairly attractive street scene. We wait with bated breath.

Kirkdale

There is a hangover of a dropped kerb on the problematic stretch of Kirkdale (92 - 110) which allows vehicles to ride up onto the pavement area. We noted that there is a lot of building and refurbishment works being carried out on this parade at the moment and due to the double yellow lines, lack of loading bays or rear access, vehicles are mounting the pavement to unload. We also have another school drop off problem, as this area is used as a temporary car park at the end/start of school.

Chris Avis said that placing loading bays directly onto Kirkdale would be far too expensive due to the deep raised kerb. Moreover, raising the dropped kerb in line with the rest of the pavement would also be costly but this am going to discuss this with our engineering manager. Ideally, I would like the pavement raised and would not like to see unattractive bollards placed across the dropped kerb. A compromise position might be to place more attractive planters across it.

In addition, I would like to see two loading bay/time-limited bays placed on Fransfield Grove, next to the corner with Kirkdale. This would offer a loading space for the businesses and short-stay bays for customers. I intend to contact and consult the businesses in the area to see whether they would support the introduction of these bays.

Halifax Street

Someone has painted over a section of the double yellow lines on the corner with Kirkdale. This paint will be removed.

Longfield Crescent

The parking here will be reviewed at the next batch of the Minor Parking Programme schemes. We would like to see the single yellow lines, which were temporarily laid during the redevelopments, removed. We then would like to see double yellow lines places on the corners of Longfield Crescent and we hope that these changes would free up some extra parking spaces. I also want to work with Lewisham Homes to improve the greening off Longfield Crescent in an effort to prevent illegal parking on the grass verges. However, this is early days and any changes will be subject to consultation with residents.

Thorpewood Avenue

Chris informs me that his team have received 6 or 7 individual submissions from residents of this street requesting a Controlled Parking Zone. To put this into perspective, the Council received over 70 individual requests for the (admittedly, slightly larger) CPZ near Sydenham station. For the Ladywell West CPZ, over 100 individual submissions were made to Lewisham Council from residents requesting a CPZ. If more individual submissions are not made before the review of the CPZ programme in early 2020, it is unlikely this area will be prioritised for a consultation. I will be meeting with the Thorpewood Avenue traffic working group later this month to discuss this and the progress of their petition in greater detail.

If you live on Thorpewood Avenue, Derby Hill Crescent, Derby Hill, Radlet Avenue or Dartmouth Road and have concerns about parking pressure, please email Traffic@Lewisham.gov.uk.

marymck

14 Nov '19

Thanks very much @Leo Gibbons and @CllrDavis . Much appreciated that you’ve visited Kirkdale.

I think it would be great to have planters or even planted borders along the pavement edge between Halifax Street and Fransfield Grove. We could incorporate a bench and make the street scene very pretty. Maybe even a permanent living Christmas tree of a variety that wouldn’t grow too wide in years to come. No one’s going to drive over that to park!

That approach would mean we can keep the Victorian granite kerb stones, with their mysterious markings. The dropped kerb section is the remnant of an access to the rear yard of a building that stood on the site once upon a time (photo of this is on SE23Life). CostCutter/Malibu House was built where that building once stood and the dropped kerb hasn’t served any purpose for decades.

I believe some of the shops do or did have rear access, but a some of them have built or converted to residential on the back of their properties. The Woodman had its own stables and parking, but a house was built over it and most of the pub converted to residential. Unlike some of the shops, the Woodman has no curtilage to the front.

@Leo @Sophie Did you get a chance to look at/consider the derelict Willow Way depot as a future shoppers’ car park?

HamishJ

15 Nov '19

Glad to see involvement from officials but, to be frank, miffed at exclusion of Cheseman Street in the findings. Not least as we have raised and debated with the council, only to be repeatedly rebutted due to no funds. We have severe pavement, parking and related safety issues.

Sydenham High’s drop off pick ups are beyond belief in terms of impact on our street. Yet we are told they are regularly patrolled and managed - poppycock.

Our pavement, we’ve only really got one, is in dire need of repair but we are told there were no funds. Guess we can take solace marvelling at the swathes of new paving all around us. When they are not covered in illegally parked cars of course.

Another issue is the speeding in Dartmouth Road. It is quite horrific at times and with the various school, library and pool visitors, often children, at risk, this is an urgent and extremely dangerous oversight. By the time the speeds heading west hit (no pun intended) the Bricklayers they are often hitting 50/60 mph.

If funds are needed to repair then clampdown on the illegal parking and wanton speeding. My opinion is that significant sums would be raised in a surprisingly short time.

Fringe benefits would include environmental improvement, public health improvement oh and the small matter of safety of citizens.