The campaign by Eltham North Conservative Councillors and local residents to restore free parking to western Glenlea Road has won a first round victory after Greenwich Council finally agreed to let residents have a say by issuing a consultation document on the matter.
Greenwich Council took away the free parking despite there being no residential houses directly adjacent to the road. Residents of Strongbow Crescent and Strongbow Road have been pointing out for some time that the various Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs) around Eltham station mean that at the weekend it is extremely difficult to park outside of their own homes. As Eltham North Councillor, I have raised this and its effect on local businesses with Council Officers repeatedly.
In fact this campaign has lasted two and a half years, and I’m really pleased Greenwich Council has, in a very quiet way, admitted that imposing parking charges on western Glenlea Road may have been bad for residents in nearby roads and local businesses. Finally they are allowing local residents to have a say.
The consultation asks if residents would like to see parking charges removed on a Saturday. The vast majority of people I have spoken to would like to see free parking restored to western Glenlea Road (behind the station) all week but at least this is a step in the right direction in supporting local businesses and residents who have been badly hit by Labour’s decision.
There are no residents on this part of the road but please let me be clear, any decision about eastern Glenlea Road which has houses facing it – in my opinion – rests with those residents.
The consultation document is only being issued by the council to residents in the Strongbow Road/Crescent area, but I’d really urge residents from other parts of the ward to respond.
The first three questions relate directly to Strongbow Road/Crescent however, the fourth questions reads:
“Do you support changing the parking bays on Glenlea Road to allow free parking on Saturday?”
You do not have to respond using the consultation documentation, but can write directly to Mr Brian Hanson at brian.hanson@royalgreenwich.gov.uk (please do copy me in so that I can monitor who has responded – spencer@spencerdrury.com). The deadline for response is 23rd February 2018.
We have wanted the council to stop treating western Glenlea Road as a car park raising a small amount of money for the Council’s parking budget but leaving the street empty for long periods of time and effecting local businesses. Council Officers and Labour Councillors have been extremely resistant to change their joint decision.
I remain extremely grateful to all the local residents, petition signatories and local politicians like Adam Thomas (who stood for the Greater London Assembly in 2016) who are helping with our campaign.
This is what local politics is all about for me – giving a voice to residents in Eltham North not just sticking by the Council line regardless. I hope as many residents & businesses as possible will now take the opportunity to say what they think, and that this consultation leads to a more sensible approach to charges on western Glenlea Road from the Council.
A full copy of the consultation document can be found below:
Strongbow Crs consultation leaflet
This article was copied across from Cllr Spencer Drury’s ‘Your Councillor’ blog which is being closed down.