Controlled Parking Zones in Beckenham

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Permalink Reply by Jon Clarke on February 24, 2012 at 7:22

I've had time to read the documents and it actually makes me very angry. The council has been so utterly biased, closed minded and totally sneaky. The Clock House controlled parking extension questions were all about getting yeses and no space for a firm no. The numbers that replied are ALL below half of the houses polled (except the 15 houses in Clock House) so when a handful of residents said they wanted a CPZ the council says that is a majKeith and the whole road is to change and be charged. That is absolutely wrong. They are spending money, why not do a proper door to door survey with a fair and unbiased survey? It's not impossible and a damn sight fairer.

There is no provision in the report on where 35 or so teachers of Balgowan Primary School will park daily. This is not joined up planning, the school has as much right as the residents it's been there longer and is the main draw for locals to he living in this area of Beckenham. They can't park in the playground, where do the kids play then at break.

Will Councillors stop Implementing works like this which are done I would say almost illegally and totally biased to not the residential majority all of which pay their council tax and have as much rights as each other.

There needs to be a public meeting, and public answers and the process changed and that needs to be done immediately

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Permalink Reply by PReeves on February 24, 2012 at 10:59

Personally I disagree wholeheartedly with ANY form of CPZ.

We are talking about public rights of way - there should be no special treatment for certain members of the public - or in this case, no additional penalties on certain members of the public.

Why are commuters tarred with a brush that labels them as undesirables? 

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Permalink Reply by Reg Adams on April 2, 2012 at 21:32

Proposals for a CPZ in roads around and to the east of Beckenham Town Centre. Debated at the PDS Meeting, 28 Feb. Relevant Minutes attached. Background report on this (ES-12034) was attached to my earlier posting (23 Feb 12).

Attachments:

• xtr120228EnvtPDSMinutes_BeckTownCentreCPZ.pdf, 185 KB

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Permalink Reply by ade on April 4, 2012 at 13:52

I am a resident currently living on Kelsey Park Road, one of the roads that has been appealing for a CPZ.

I've read all the views put through by people who oppose CPZ, and i'm sorry i point blank disagree.

While i understand that as we all pay tax we have a right to use the public highway, a certain amount of logic has to be applied. The fact that CPZ's now exist means we have to change our outlook on where we are able to park. I don't expect to drive to any town centre away from Beckenham and expect to be able to park for free on a road, most town centres are well serviced enough to house parking. Beckenham has alone 3 car parks that people can use. There's a huge degree of laziness going on here too.

I also find it hard to stomach, when someone on this forum says "people living in areas close to a high street with no drives etc should have thought about parking before they moved and bought a house with a drive". It's not that easy, and harks back to some derranged Tory comment we had when the MP told us to fill up petrol cans and store them in our garages. We don't all have that luxury!

With that in mind, why didn't those same people think about commuting and where they would shop and purchase a house close enough so driving and parking isn't an issue.

These days families have to consider so many things, closeness to work, schools, extended family, if only we could all nip into Charles Eden Estate agents and buy a big house with a drive.

I have a small family, a baby and a toddler and almost every weekend or weekday i am forced to park up to 1km away from my home while people park up where ever they choose along a road we live on and care for.

Half the time people park carelessly taking up two spaces. What's more some people leave their cars for days while they make the most of the bars and clubs in the evenings. Leaving it virtually impossible to find a parking place within eye shot of my house.

While i don't think i have a given right to be able to park directly outside my home, i do feel i should be able to see my car, and it's insane that i have to walk down busy roads crossing where there's lots of traffic with a baby and toddler for 1km to get back to my house, often with bags/ buggy and the usual kids paraphernalia.

We should be encouraging people/commuters/shoppers to ride, walk or take public transport. It's a situation that has got out of hand in the past two years.

What's more - if people took the time to look at the CPZ proposal they'd realise that you can still park down Copers Cope and all of Manor Way, an area where residents haven't asked for a CPZ, because they do have drives.

That's the main area people park anyway. Kelsey Park Road can house at most about 25 cars. Hardly a deal breaker when it comes to parking stock in the area.

I'm sick of hearing about "tax payers" rights and views on why residents shouldn't matter.

I didn't opt for CPZ in other areas close by, which have now directly influenced parking in our area. So logic must now prevail, and the council needs to protect residents who for too long have been outcasts from the area they live in and look after and make welcoming.

And it might work, as we look to cut obesity rates in this country for those commuters who choose to drive a mile or so just to park close to a station to get on Amazon and buy a bike. Might help the planet cut carbon emissions while we're at it too.

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Permalink Reply by PReeves on April 4, 2012 at 14:02

Some good points, but also some mixed messages such as wanting to park near your house when you have heavy shopping, yet in the next statement saying shoppers should use public transport - and lets not forget that living near the High St means that you get a much better public transport system than those of us living in the more remote parts of Beckenham.

You also repeat the point that introducing one CPZ pushes the problem elsewhere and means we have to keep adding new CPZs, so not solving the problem.

I do agree that the High St is a different issue to parking at stations, and agree that we can't allow anyone to park on or near the High St - but there are alternatives for High St users (i.e. non residents) in that they can use one of the nearby car parks.  However the main difference for Station parking is that CPZs are put in place with no action to facilitate alternative parking elsewhere, that's my main problem with the Clock House one versus the Beckenham East extension that prevents 'clogging' around the High st when people can go park up by St Georges Church

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Permalink Reply by ade on April 4, 2012 at 14:37

I dont think i make any mixed points, you are just jumping to conclusions John.

I have shopping when i travel far from my house, so when i visit my parents who live outside London or when i have to use a car to transport heavy goods for DIY. During a spell where I was renovating my house it was often the case that i'd have to park ages away (1km!) and walk with building materials back to my home. I'm not adverse to doing that, but when i see people who don't live in the area parking up all over the road and selfishly, so taking up several places because for them parking is not an issue, then yes i feel there's a need for accountability and that comes with Resident Parking and restrictions.

My point around CPZ's, is that the horse has already bolted. As far as i am concerened there isn't another option for Kelsey Park Road, the situation is so bad, so flawed at the moment that i'd welcome your views on how this could be solved. My next step is to move away from the house i love. What, just so people can exercise their right to drive to a shop and park up on the highway when parking already exists? What is wrong with the 3 carparks? I have had to use a carpark myself and i live on Kelsey Park Road.

Why don't we do a house swap? Sounds like you want to be close to public transport and the station, maybe then you'll understand why Kelsey Park Road residents have had enough.

Do you live too far away to ride a bike to the station John?

P.S Shoppers can use the sainsburys car park and that would save them walking with shopping bags to a car parked 5 mins away from the supermarket.

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Permalink Reply by ade on April 4, 2012 at 14:52

One other thing I have seen you mention is the old GCSE geography socio/economic argument.

That a lack of parking will be detrimental to small businesses and  will kill off the fishmonger etc.

Well if that was really a worry for businesses in Beckenham then the Village Sausage guy who owns a branded smart car would think about that and park his car sensibly.

Instead he parks in the middle of an allocated zone taking up space for say two extra cars. He does this most mornings, like he owns a bus. It's almost comical. Surely he's killing off his business? Tut Tut.

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