Rotherhithe residents have complained about a Southwark Council decision to make it harder to park on the peninsula, despite few locals seeming to want the changes.
Out of the 382 responses to the council’s consultation on the decision to introduce a controlled parking zone in Rotherhithe and the Surrey Docks area, some 246 were against the plans as a whole or in part.
Many of the people objecting said that there was no problem with the current level of street parking available in the area.
The council said it wanted to reduce the future congestion that is likely to come as a result of future developments, like British Land’s 3,000-home Canada Water Masterplan. Homes in that development are being marketed as largely without parking spaces, apart from for blue badge holders.
One resident asked in their response to the consultation why the new developments could not simply be built with enough parking for the people who move in.
“If the council is concerned that parking pressure in adjoining areas will become unmanageable with current arrangements as a result of the Canada Masterplan developments,” they added, “then this suggests that the proposals that have been approved have not taken a realistic view on how much parking per unit of new residential / commercial unit is actually needed.”
The plans, which were approved in October last year, would bring in parking spaces and double yellow lines. Parking permits for residents cost £130 per year in the borough.
Rotherhithe resident Angus Walker told the News he was dismayed by the “heavy-handed” changes and wanted them reversed in line with the results of the consultation. “It feels arrogant, like the council are saying ‘we know what’s best for you’”.
Some people were in favour of the changes, with one supporter commenting: “Great to see more restrictions on free parking in the area. Car owners should pay their fair share to store their private property on public roads.”
Southwark Council was contacted for further comment.