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Parking zone extension could lead to Beckenham gardens being paved over

FRONT gardens could be paved over and turned into car parks to get around the council’s ‘revenue generating scheme’ of making residents pay for parking permits.

This garden in Belmont Road is already being used as a driveway One garden in Belmont Road is already being used as a driveway

The Clock House controlled parking zone is set to be extended to incorporate Belmont Road, Cromwell Road, Colesburg Road, Hampden Avenue, Hampden Road and Balgowan Road this month (July).

This means people living in these streets will have to pay £40 a year for a permit to park in the zone.

And Liz Higgins, of Belmont Road, says this could lead to homeowners getting rid of their front gardens and turning them into driveways.

She said: “In my road the front gardens are too small but there is one very canny older gentleman who has done this, so maybe others may join and turn our beautiful front gardens in to concrete.

“I know there was a road in Beckenham where they brought in controlled parking and residents turned it into a car park by paving their drives so the council took the zone away because it wasn’t making money.”

The 48-year-old says Bromley Council has not listened to the views of homeowners before deciding to bring in the scheme.

She said: “The council will mark bays that will be for resident use only between the hours of 10am to 12pm, Monday to Friday only.

“We would agree with it but those two hours between 10am and 12pm are quite ineffective.

“The only time we experience parking problems is school drop off, before 10am, school pick up, after 12noon and weekends therefore these restrictions are not benefiting residents.”

The sales director added: “In the 10 or 11 years I have lived here I have only not been able to park in my road a couple of times and that’s when an event has been going on in the park.”

Executive councillor for environment Councillor Colin Smith said: “The existing controlled parking zone in Clock House is being extended solely at the request of residents following lengthy consultation.

“We obviously understand that these measures are not universally popular, but the consensus was that such measures were needed to deter increased all day parking by visitors to the area, thereby denying spaces decently close to their homes for local residents with limited off street parking facilities.

“The cost of the permits, at £40, remains amongst the very cheapest across London.

“The scheme will be reviewed after six months to ensure it is serving the purpose it has been designed for, with any tweaks or minor adjustments which might prove necessary being made at that time.”


Comments (24)

01/07/12

BeckenhamTown.us says...

The Council didn't even think of informing the local primary school, Balgowan Primary School, in the heart of the new CPZ in all those months of supposed consultation. When challenged by the school after they found out from local neighbours the Council I heard allegedly offered 4 spaces for the whole of the teaching and support staff. Since then both Councillor Smith and traffic officer Nedvard have been chased by the school and with a week to go to bringing in the new CPZ they are finally talking to the school I believe.

Balgowan PS is not a business, it's a fundamental public service to the local residents, many of whom moved here to enable their children to attend the school.

The Council needs to fundamentally re-look at how they implement the idea of traffic parking measures within the borough, the Controlled Parking Zone initial leaflets that come through the doors are made to look like friendly awareness and open questionnaires, but are being used to poll residents without informing them than responses will absolutely base the premise on whether the area will have or not have a CPZ imposed. Not even a majority of residents are required by road, just a majority of those that post back the questionnaire. This is the very thinnist wedge of democracy, but it all helps the Council get more and more CPZs set-up and slowly strangle the local areas in which we live.

Those on the edges of possible CPZs are not informed ever of any actions and therefore feel angry when all of a sudden they find the displaced parkers now on their roads. But that's great for the Council who then knows they'll have a ripe set of new neighbours who will more than likely vote for another CPZ and the problem moves ever on, whilst all locals end up paying for parking on a road they never had to, plus they can't even park outside a friend's locally and those with carer needs or home businesses etc are worse off too.

I call on Cllr Colin Smith to explain why they didn't inform Balgowan Primary School, and I hope he can confirm that all school personnel will have free parking permits. (Was Balgowan's departure from the local schools' network to become an Academy anything to do with the Council's thinking?)

I also call on him and the Portfolio Holder to publicly state that they'll relook at the process they use and change it. It needs to be fairer, clearer and that any first steps should be asking local residents if they themselves have the best solutions or would like to sort out their own streets instead of CPZ's being imposed by farwaray Council members.

01/07/12

blueskies7 says...

Anyone who thinking of paving over their garden to provide a parking space should be aware they may need planning permission. Permeable or porous surfacing, rainwater flowing to a lawn/border that drains naturally is generally ok but use of traditional materials that don't let water through may require a planning application.

01/07/12

mouthalmighty says...

Blueskies7 that is a very good point. I was considering concreting my front garden, do I will have go think twice. Thanks.

02/07/12

dag says...

You can block pave your driveway this allows the water to run through. If you use crazy paving or concrete you have to have a soakaway. We've had parking problems for year living near a station.

02/07/12

PaulErith says...

Surely it's a total over reaction. Not saying I necessarily agree with the charges, but £40 a year is not extortionate. It's going to cost quite a bit of money to pave over the front garden. Doesn't seem worth the bother.

02/07/12

the wall says...

Why should you have to pay to park on the public highway, when you already pay VED ?

This will go up every year.
10 years ago paid I was paying £12 this year it's £92. For what? A piece of paper. The painted boxes on the road are faded and all the signs have longed be paid for.


This is the thin end of the wedge

02/07/12

bible scoffer says...

...saw this coming two years ago, so sold a property in this area.

02/07/12

Jeeepsie Joe says...

bible scoffer wrote:
...saw this coming two years ago, so sold a property in this area.
Block pavers LOL !! You the man fer that aint ya.

02/07/12

Holey Moley says...

Pave over your garden for the sake of 77p a week!

Don't make me laugh.

Cut out your Mars bar at lunchtime and you'd have saved enough for a permit...and you get to keep your front lawn.

Not In My Back Yard? Not On My Front Garden, more like!

02/07/12

marieowyn says...

since 1 Oct 2008 it has been illegal in England to resurface your front garden with impermeable paving/ substance - as any decent garden designer or landscaper will know.
They will also know that there are limits on the size of front garden which can be paved over - the vast majority of front gardens in newly-to -be-extended CPZ area are too small.
As a garden designer & conservationist I wouldnt suggest anyone should have an impermeable surface in their front garden as it causes more problems than it resolves.
So there should be no concern on that score.
As regards Balgowan School personnel haviong free permits I think that could cause some ill feeling among residents - but they should certainly be eligible to purchase a permit as if they were a resident.
Needless to say, getting any sort of sensible and helpful answer from the Council staff or Councillors involved is a major feat.

02/07/12

madras says...

As if it's not expensive enough to run a car and I thought you had some sort of right to use the public highway - surely this is a benefit to the residents (being able to park in their roads) but does it really need to be £40/year. I'm sure the council could manage something cheaper for the home-owners (who also pay council tax...)?

03/07/12

bible scoffer says...

Jeeepsie Joe wrote:
bible scoffer wrote: ...saw this coming two years ago, so sold a property in this area.
Block pavers LOL !! You the man fer that aint ya.
...was you dropped on your head as a child 'jeepsie kiss' rofl!! you certainly need some kind of break - have a week orf... you make on sense whatsoever on here!! i heard hastings can be rather pleasant in the rain!! lmao!!

03/07/12

PaulErith says...

I think there should be a two tier system. Those who actually need to drive - i.e. to get to work, disability, etc - should not have to pay as much in taxes/permits as those lazy majority who jump in their cars to do a 5 minute journey. The worst of all are the parents that drive their kids to school, often when it's a short walk. These people should have to pay thousands for the privilege.

03/07/12

Gavinp says...

just another nail in the head of bromley and its parking regulations.

Its killing it and they just cant see it.

Several of my shop owner friends are thinking of getting rid of there shops as no one can park any where near them. One of them pays nearly £400 in rates to the council so they are going to be far worse if they continue with this parking crusade they seem to be on

03/07/12

Flowergirl76 says...

bible scoffer wrote:
Jeeepsie Joe wrote:
bible scoffer wrote: ...saw this coming two years ago, so sold a property in this area.
Block pavers LOL !! You the man fer that aint ya.
...was you dropped on your head as a child 'jeepsie kiss' rofl!! you certainly need some kind of break - have a week orf... you make on sense whatsoever on here!! i heard hastings can be rather pleasant in the rain!! lmao!!
Well said bible scoffer ! Think he not taken his meds in a while !

03/07/12

Jeeepsie Joe says...

Take your tongue out of 'scoffers' arse Flowergirl, it will make your breath stink worse than it already does.

THaNk YOu

04/07/12

Flowergirl76 says...

Jeeepsie Joe wrote:
Take your tongue out of 'scoffers' arse Flowergirl, it will make your breath stink worse than it already does.

THaNk YOu
You know that from experience do you ?

04/07/12

the wall says...

Flowergirl76 wrote:
Jeeepsie Joe wrote: Take your tongue out of 'scoffers' arse Flowergirl, it will make your breath stink worse than it already does. THaNk YOu
You know that from experience do you ?
What that your breath sinks. We have heard a few things,
apparently it can strip barnacles off the Titanic.

04/07/12

Jeeepsie Joe says...

Flowergirl76 wrote:
Jeeepsie Joe wrote:
Take your tongue out of 'scoffers' arse Flowergirl, it will make your breath stink worse than it already does.

THaNk YOu
You know that from experience do you ?
Go clean your teeth and while you're at it have a wash fishy flaps.



I'm Spartacus today as well.

ThANK yUo

04/07/12

Flowergirl76 says...

Jeeepsie Joe wrote:
Flowergirl76 wrote:
Jeeepsie Joe wrote:
Take your tongue out of 'scoffers' arse Flowergirl, it will make your breath stink worse than it already does.

THaNk YOu
You know that from experience do you ?
Go clean your teeth and while you're at it have a wash fishy flaps.



I'm Spartacus today as well.

ThANK yUo
Oh my what an intellectual (please feel free to use a dictionary) creature you are gypsy boy. So instead of writing intelligent (again feel free to use a dictionary) comments on here you result to insults. You certainly are a bonus to the community ..... Your parents must be so proud to have produced such a pillar of the community

04/07/12

Flowergirl76 says...

the wall wrote:
Flowergirl76 wrote:
Jeeepsie Joe wrote: Take your tongue out of 'scoffers' arse Flowergirl, it will make your breath stink worse than it already does. THaNk YOu
You know that from experience do you ?
What that your breath sinks. We have heard a few things,
apparently it can strip barnacles off the Titanic.
I do chuckle at your come backs :) brilliant ! X

04/07/12

Jeeepsie Joe says...

Intellectual...yus thats me OK, and me barra is outside.

Insults R Us, that's me.

04/07/12

mickeyboy says...

If the Chav mothers walked their feral kids the 400 yds to Balgowan School then maybe it would help solve the 'fatkid' syndrome that most of them seem to have.
We've all seen them sitting in their 4X4s an hour before school closing time so they can get as near to the gates as possible so their little darlings don't have to walk too far.

06/07/12

BeckenhamCloud9 says...

mickeyboy wrote:
If the Chav mothers walked their feral kids the 400 yds to Balgowan School then maybe it would help solve the 'fatkid' syndrome that most of them seem to have. We've all seen them sitting in their 4X4s an hour before school closing time so they can get as near to the gates as possible so their little darlings don't have to walk too far.
There's a couple of kids in my road who go to this school (less than 1/4 mile).
One's mum walks with her to the school then walks home.
The other leaves earlier, gets in her 4x4, drives to the school & drives home - invariably this takes far longer than walking.
When I've mentioned this she just says "I want my baby to be safe"

Yes, well....

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