Forum Topic

Fielding Primary School Area CPZ

This morning I've received a Public Consultation on a new CPZ which covers (roughly) the area bounded by Leighton Rd, Midhurst Rd, Northfield Av and Ridley Av. Apparently, "The Council have received a number of requests".Speaking as a resident of Leighton Rd, I don't see the need; the problem (if any) with parking here is evenings/night time and weekends, not during the day.Anybody hold a contrary opinion?

Martyn Faller ● 4571d43 Comments

I couldn't agree with you more. We live in Bernard and it is now getting absolutely impossible to park in the street in the evenings. During the day ,no probs.

Perrin Anson ● 4571d

Then do vote 'no' and urge others who share your views to do the same. Many CPZs are implemented because of the apathy of the majority and the inertia of the few.

Nigel Brooks ● 4571d

Over at the Northfields Friends group of Facebook there have been back and forth pro and con opinions on this same subject all day... makes this discussion look rather sedate. Boils down to "I want to park outside my house/ in my road" versus "don't want to pay to park/ it will destroy local businesses". Our road has one Mon - Sat, my car currently not outside house and rarely is, often in next road but there you go.

Rupa Huq ● 4571d

Did you vote 'no' when consulted over the CPZ near your own home?

Nigel Brooks ● 4571d

Nigel, Rupa will no doubt answer about her CPZ, but when we were consulted we voted FOR a CPZ and we asked for a Mon to Sat no parking for 1 hour in am and one hour in pm. Before our CPZ was installed, we were plagued by commuters, shoppers and parents on school runs parking in our street. At least now its better for residents.

Gerry Tan ● 4570d

GerryI fully accept that there are areas where a CPZ is welcome. They have however grown like an insidious rash often simply as cash generators for the local authority and where the is little, if any justification on the grounds of 'protecting' the parking of residents.I also see no reason why the cost of resident's permits should do any more than simply cover the cost of initial signage and street marking in the first year with a nominal annual fee thereafter of say £10 to cover administration costs.

Nigel Brooks ● 4570d

We recently had CPZ introduced on our road because one woman made a petition and went knocking on everyone's door to say yes. I swore at her and told her to pxxx off which i regret. She wanted to park outside her house so because of her, we all have cpz. I voted no, but it seems a majority must have voted yes or it was a cover up by the council and they just went ahead. Don't know. Is there any way of finding how many voted in favour and against.

Rhys Smith ● 4570d

Ask the council for the results of the consultation.

Nigel Brooks ● 4570d

The zone N CPZ had already been in place for several years before I moved to current address. It is not a panacea (you cannot guarentee parking outside your door) but having 2 hours a day stops all day tube parking without I hope damaging small traders too much. My mother is two streets away in zone S which is much longer - until 7.30

Rupa Huq ● 4570d

Are CPZs contentious issues with the residents of Ealing Central and Acton?

Gerry Tan ● 4570d

The area of this new proposal is the only remaining 'zone free' in the area.  It is all very well that residents should want to park outside their own houses but none of the shop/business owners and staff will be able to get permits. (unless £600 per year for a van counts).  Those of us who start at ridiculous times in the morning or need to go to the bank, cash and carry or visit customers, need somewhere to park our cars.  Presently, there is just enough capacity to eventually find a space during the day, especially when the JJ zone is operative across the road and contains many empty places.Councillors are very good at sympathising with the plight of traders and promise to arrange meetings with town hall officers to try to mitigate the problems but nothing ever happens as 'the residents have requested'.  We know that residents get votes and traders do not but it would be nice if the council were to try to help the local shops instead of making it hard to keep going.  What I would ideally like to see in the event of a Yes vote is Shops/Businesses in this area to have the same rights as residents and a relevant number of parking permits for staff and owners but not at a rate that can only put prices up to cover the cost or put them out of business.

Brian Davis ● 4570d

Audacious bump to remind those included that a NO vote will help local shops.

Brian Davis ● 4568d

Not an 'audacious bump' at all. We have to protect our local businesses from such blatant 'taxation'. Based on average retail margins a business owner would have to increase turnover by a few thousand pounds simply to cover the cost of parking near their premises - ridiculous.

Nigel Brooks ● 4567d

The problem is that by extending Zone JJ up to Northfield Avenue, ALL the parking was shifted to a small number of non-CPZ roads on the other side. It is virtually impossible to park even near your home in daytime hours in non-CPZ roads off Northfield Avenue. This is not so much the people using local shops, but the people who work in them and those parking for Northfields tube. Very difficult indeed for residents.

Steve Lee ● 4566d

So, what's the solution to this neighbourhood parking problem?

Gerry Tan ● 4566d

You are correct in your observations and nobody doubts that users of Northfields Station are unfairly using up valuable spaces.  Shop workers are just as much a part of the community as residents but are not granted parking permits, even though there are plenty of spaces in the zones. Until the council recognises this and does something about it, we must push for a NO vote to preserve our shops and services.

Brian Davis ● 4566d

Many CPZs are implemented because the council keeps on asking the same question until they wear down the locals and get the answer that they want in the end.Democracy?What's that?

Tony Colliver ● 4566d

We have just found out that if this CPZ goes ahead our road will lose 50% of it's parking as we would not be able to park on the pavements anymore and only one side would be permitted and the other a yellow line (probably double), this will push 40 cars from Northfield Road (our road) onto Balfour, Hessel, Salisbury etc, therefore creating MORE parking problems not solving them, it's ridiculous and also that fact it hasn't been mentioned is very sneaky - people have not been given the full information on this consultation and are, therefore, not making an informed choice. I am also concerned that local business lose parking and also custom as a result, where will their staff park?

Kathy Hawes ● 4560d

>as we would not be able to park on the pavements anymore I don't get this, your not allowed to park on the pavement anyway right?

Paul James ● 4560d

On Northfield Road which runs from Northcroft Road to Northfield Avenue, cars have always been allowed to park on the pavements. It is a one way street and anyone who lives around there will lnow that it is perfectly safe to walk in the road, and when a car comes down it you just move to the side until it passess. For some reason without consultation of the residents, the council have decided that they will put a yellow line on one side, stopping residents from parking on the pavement. I have lived around the corner for 25 years and it has NEVER been a problem before. Is there a group forming to protest against this and the proposed parking zone?

Jaz Brown ● 4560d

I'm in favour of a CPZ, but just at the start and end of the day to stop all day parking. Unfortunately, when almost all surrounding areas have a CPZ, it's almost a fait accompli as it becomes increasingly difficult to park due to displacement from those areas.I can see the problem with very expensive permits for businesses and can't see why a business couldn't get a permit under the same terms as a resident; that's just not fair.A few have made points related to parking for staff who work in the businesses. I don't expect my employer to provide free parking for me so why should the Northfield Ave businesses be any different. Staff and proprietors should use the tube, bus, train, cycle wherever at all possible just like a good chunk of the local population do anyway.

Sam Salisbury ● 4559d

I agree with your sentiments Sam. CPZs are here to stay in Ealing and mainly I'm in favour of them.

Gerry Tan ● 4559d

Solidly in favour as long as they are not used as a cash cow as they are at present. I can understand a set-up cost being reflected in the cost of the first permit but subsequent permits should cost only  negligible amount to cover the actual cost of issuing them.The council are ripping off residents and businesses alike with the cost of permits.

Nigel Brooks ● 4559d

Thank you for your understanding of the utterly unfair £600 charge for business vehicles that use exactly the same space as a resident's car.  It's not about free parking spaces for staff.  It's about accessing ANY parking for staff who, like mine, start work very early in the morning before any comprehensive public transport is up and running.  One of our local councillors accused me of being disingenuous because I wanted free parking for staff.  We would happily use other transport to get to work but how do shop owners safely carry out banking, cash and carry or visiting customers and suppliers during the day?  Traders support local residents and they in turn, support the traders.  That is community.  Why can't the council understand that a COMMUNITY PARKING PERMIT would help us all and stop the abusive all day commuter parking?  Unless, of course, they think that if you have a business, you must be rich enough to afford to pay twelve times more than everyone else! - not so, just look at the empty shops.

Brian Davis ● 4559d

To be clear, you're not allowed to park on the pavement, it might be tolerated, but it's specifically illegal in London.Highway code:“You MUST NOT park partially or wholly on the pavement in London, and should not do so elsewhere unless signs permit it.”MUST NOT means "illegal to do so".I think your best bet, should the CPZ go ahead, would be to push for full pedestrianization of the road (i.e. no boundary between road and pavement), and have parking spaces down both sides with pedestrian priority over the whole surface.

Paul James ● 4559d

Couldn't agree more Brian. The CPZ is such a selfish thing, we all pay road tax, why on earth can't you park your cars on the road. The whole problem was caused by the CPZ in the first place just creeping along and getting bigger and bigger. What is the problem with staff parking near their place of work and teachers parking near a school, the problem with parking in this area is in the evening mainly. I think shops should get it for free, we need local shops to make the community thrive, you pay enough in business rates!

Kathy Hawes ● 4557d

"...What is the problem with staff parking near their place of work and teachers parking near a school..."Unfortunatly there are too few available parking spaces near the shops and schools in question - there are just too many cars in our neighbourhoods. Though not ideal, CPZs are fairer for most people IMO.

Gerry Tan ● 4557d

Yes Gerry but people do need to get to work and sometimes a car is the only option.  It is right to remove the abusive commuter's all day parking but to exclude those who work in and for this local community is not fair.  Neither is a fee of £600 for each business vehicle.  That's 12 residents cars worth but only one space!  Most shops would be prepared to pay the same rate as residents for the same permits, if only to dislodge the all day parking that clogs up the area.

Brian Davis ● 4557d

"Road tax" has got nothing to do with road funding.Its called ved and is a charge you pay for polluting in a public place.It's not spent in roads

Paul James ● 4557d

Absolutely right, If all of the VED was spent on roads they wouldn't be full of potholes and there would be proper facilities for ALL road users.AS to CPZ's they are an invidious way of robbing residents and businesses while delivering limited benefit.

Nigel Brooks ● 4557d

I wouldn’t complain too much there are people a lot worse off, for example I live in a block of flats with an underground car park but the leaseholders say it’s a car free zone but their staff are allowed to park there. They have also made an agreement with Ealing council that we are not permitted zone permits so my only option is to park my car between 2 and 5 hundred metres away across a major road and pay £2.40 per day parking thats if I can find a spot to park it also does not take multiple day parking so I have to renew my parking time at 7am every morning or risk getting a ticket. I have actually driven 1 hour around the block looking and waiting for an empty spot so I can go home every second of this I was cursing local Liebor councillors and the lease holders. The other thing is the amount of vehicles parked in the permit only bays during the day far out number the cars parked in the evening when residents are at home so it proves that people can get residential parking permits even when they don’t live in the area. Bit like blue badges. 

Tony Maxey ● 4556d

If you have a big CPZ you can get lazy and selfish permit holders from further out who drive and park nearer to the stations and leave their car there all day.  You'll find the areas nearer the stations and shopping areas more heavily parked.Some flats and smaller buildings are designated as low car using and aren't eligible for resident's permits. You can request the Council to do with this a planning application where there is good nearby public transport.Where are your nearest car club spaces? This is an initiative which seems to work quite well for a lot of people.  Many people have if not given up their car, given up their second car.Hammersmith certainly used to charge a lot more for the second car per household.CPZs just push the parking problem along into the next CPZ area. It also encourages other unfortunate changes which would otherwise not happen.  Somebody is in cloud cuckoo land if they think that putting lines around all the corners will mean that those enormous dustbin lorries around all our little streets but that won't stop them trying.

Philippa Bond ● 4554d

There are real problems with this consultation. Did anyone ask at the exhibition why the green strip(area susceptible to displacement) extended down Northfield Ave? Did anyone ask what would happen if the purple area (core area of parking concern) went in to a CPZ but the green area voted to stay out? Would they be able to buy permits? Answer "yes" so why the strip? Silence. Illogical! What is going on? Can people in flats south of Bernard Ave above shops in Northfield Ave buy resident parking permits in the Northfield CPZ. Answer "No". Is it yes or is it no in this proposed zone? So arbitrary,unfair and unprofessional. The £600 operational vehicle permit for businesses is also unfair. Sadly we don't have a bank or post office in Northfield Ave. So Northfield shopkeepers please cash up jump on a bus and get mugged for the week's takings. Some of those businesses have been there longer than we residents and earn less than us so why the discrepancy? Again not fair. Cllr Chapman will blame this on the Labour Group. So why are Tory councillors supporting it? Car-free housing schemes? Unfair to the young and poor. I could go on. Let us see the extensive petition and parking survey? Let's have a meeting run by the people where the owners of this proposal can give the public an account of the discrepancies. They were not available at the very lavish exhibition laid on in a tiny lobby on Mothering Sunday.

Arthur Breens ● 4552d

Any news on the results of the Consultation?

James Green ● 4482d

Having watched CPZ's get implemented in several locations, the fees are only the half of it. There is always much less parking provided once a scheme is in place, not enough even for permit holders who are then forced to park on yellow lines overnight. Wardens then quite often turn up just as the CPZ becomes active the next morning, and ticket them. It's often several hundred quid in PCN's for 5 minutes work, and the victims have paid for permits as well.People who believe a CPZ will enable them to park outside their own homes are being led by the nose. Go and see how they actually work and talk to residents. Most will tell you that CPZ's have evolved into a pernicious means of extortion.

Tony Sleep ● 4482d

As one of the councillors for Walpole I have just seen the results of this consultation. The core area and the two outer areas consulted have all voted NO so the CPZ proposals for this area will not be implemented.

Paul Conlan ● 4476d

Great!

Jaz Brown ● 4476d

As a matter of interest Paul, how did Graham Avenue and Mayfield Avenue vote?

Steve Lee ● 4475d

Isn't one of the problems that people in this area own too many cars? Rather than CPZ, has there been any success elsewhere with taxing second and third cars? My neighbours have three cars, which is two more than they actually need.

Andrew Benfield ● 4474d

LBH&F used to charge more for the second and third cars etc.There are also car clubs which are worth investigating as an alternative to keeping a car that you hardly ever use.

Philippa Bond ● 4474d

Mayfield Avenue was against but Graham Avenue was one of two roads with a majority in favour of the CPZ. The other was Wyndham Road. I think that their proximity to the school was a factor here. I have asked for the full results to be made available on the council website for those that are interested.

Paul Conlan ● 4474d

Paul, thanks for confirming the result of the CPZ consultation. For anyone who is interested in the results, you can find them on the council website here http://www.ealing.gov.uk/downloads/download/2900/fielding_primary_school_cpz_consultationAs a newly elected and keen councillor, perhaps you could feedback to your colleagues at the council that a more timely and formal announcement of the results of future CPZ consultations is needed (rather than an announcement on an online forum). Would also be good to understand how and if the council intends to address the initial concerns of the local residents who brought this to the council in the first place (and which, it would seem, kick-started the consultation) rather than publishing a load of statistics with no commentary whatsoever.

Frank Williams ● 4465d

We residents of Ealing chose to live in a city - one of the largest in Europe - and residential parking is an increasing problem. Much as I dislike restrictions and regulations, CPZs are the fairest way to regulate and control parking for all, residents, commuters, visitors, shoppers et al IMO.

Gerry Tan ● 4465d