London Plan Matters 5b Transport, Parking Strategy

Written evidence from the Vauxhall Society
The civic society for the north of Lambeth (from and including Stockwell)and adjacent parts of Wandsworth and Southwark.
20 Albert Square London SW8 1BS
PARTICIPANT 602

SUB MATTER 5b Parking strategy
SECTION 3C, Policy 3C.20

The Vauxhall Society supports the aims of encouraging the use of public transport through controlling the level of provision and regulation of on and off street parking. However, this alone will have little effect without considerable improvement and increase in public transport provision and unless it is made much more accessible to the disabled and also to the less abled and burdened, which all of are some of the time.

In central areas, especially just outside the congestion charging zone, it is most important to discourage commuter parking from further out. It is unnecessary to have all day parking controls for this, and these cause problems to small shops and tradesmen delivering and doing repairs, visits to local doctors etc. Prohibitions on parking for a 2 hour period for all without a resident's badge (charged for to cover the cost of the scheme) would deal with this perfectly well, and by staggering the 2 hour period between neighbouring areas, traffic warden would have a full working day.

Small shops, especially those selling heavy goods, are at a disadvantage compared to superstores with their inefficient and unattractive use of land. The small shops need short term parking for their customers to enable them to compete, and to encourage local shopping.

Include:
'recognise the need for short term (20 or 40 min) parking near small local and neighbourhood centre shops'
'reduce the amount of parking at superstores'
'reduce and phase out provision for commuter parking in Central London'

Residents in car-free developments should not be eligible for residential on-street parking permits, but they should be able to get visitors' permits in the same way as other residents.

Coach parking should be provided close to the places the coaches are serving. In the Kennington, Oval and Vauxhall area there is a constant problem with tourist coaches parking illegally with their engines constantly running, in side street, including outside the Vauxhall City Farm, which has many children visiting it. They also park in the bus lane at the Albert Embankment, blocking off the river from North Lambeth and preventing its use for its real purpose. These coaches are mainly serving Westminster and the South Bank, but their pollution and obstuction is exported to Kennington, Oval and Vauxhall. The Vauxhall Society proposes that the fifth point should be amended to: 'seek to provide adequate facilities for coaches beside the destinations they serve, off road wherever practical' In addition, the destinations should encourage visitors to come to them by ordinary public transport.