The council’s plan to implement a borough-wide controlled parking zone, which had been met with opposition and even the threat of a legal challenge, was scrapped.
The Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) scheme would require everyone to buy a permit to park – costing £225 a year for petrol cars and £300 for diesel.
The scheme was in the process of being rolled out across the whole borough – a plan detailed in an obscure council document from 2019, which had flown under the radar until this year.
The council said the idea behind the scheme was to make streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists whilst making the air cleaner for both individuals and the environment by reducing cars on the road.
In Bermondsey and Walworth, parking has already been controlled for some time, as have some areas of East Dulwich. But when the council proposed bringing the scheme to Nunhead & Queen’s Road, Peckham Rye, Dulwich Village, Dulwich Hill and Dulwich Wood – it was met with fierce opposition.
The Oppose the CPZ campaign was created, along with a petition signed by over 3,000 residents arguing they didn’t want controlled parking in these areas.
The group behind this campaign weren’t against the proposal entirely but in their areas, they claimed it wasn’t necessary or fair – given that they weren’t well-served by transport and car ownership was well over 50 per cent (making car owners the majority).
On the other side of the fence were people arguing it was a good idea, including residents who already had a CPZ in their area. One man, who used to live near Burgess Park, said despite being met with resistance at first, controlled parking had ‘made the area nicer’ given that the roads were emptier.
As the consultations progressed in parts of Dulwich, Nunhead & Queen’s Road and Peckham Rye many expressed concern with how they were being conducted.
On the consultation questionnaire, there was no option to directly oppose the plans, causing some residents to question the purpose of asking residents in the first place.
The council appeared steadfast on their decision – and despite meeting with residents to hear their concerns, it seemed its mind was made up.
But after four long months of division and outcry, including a legal challenge from CPZ-sceptics, the council scrapped the plan for borough-wide CPZ following claims it had ‘listened to residents’ concerns.’
This delighted the sceptics, who had declared a victory after hearing the news, however not every group was pleased. Southwark Cyclists and Mum’s For Lungs expressed their disappointment with the decision – suggesting it was bad news for air pollution and encouraging active travel.
Although it may have appeared to come to a head, this isn’t the end of the CPZ era. Southwark Council, which had proposed the schemes in a bid to reduce car ownership and pollution, could still consult on them in smaller areas.
Moreover, the council is still set to pay £11.5 million (including £4.4 million this year alone) for traffic wardens which they had planned to oversee the scheme. Given the recent news, some recently demanded an explanation for this choice.
But a council spokesperson said that the extension of this contract to 2024 was ‘unrelated’ to the initial plans for a borough-wide CPZ rollout, and instead was ‘part of existing measures’ to improve road safety.