Parking zone expanding near Abbey Wood station
Bexley Council have agreed to expand parking controls near Abbey Wood station after the arrival of the Elizabeth line.
Consultation on expansion east further towards Belvedere station was undertaken last year.
The decision arrived with no fanfare appearing on a corner of Bexley Council’s website. Bexley is Bonkers has been covering the issue for some time.
The report states these roads are included:
Abbey Rd, Abbotswood Close, Beckett Close, Blakemore Way, Bright Close, Carrill Way, Coptefield Drive, Elstree Gardens, Gilbert Road, Hadley Road, Halifield Drive, Holcote Close,
Kingswood Avenue, Laymarsh Close, Plympton Close, Sampson Close, Shortlands Close, St Augustine’s Road and Turnstock Way.
Displacement
Displacement of drivers to Belvedere seems likely though rail links between Belvedere and Abbey Wood aren’t as good as could be. Thameslink fail to stop at Belvedere leaving some lengthy gaps for remaining Southeastern services.
Alternatively people could walk or take a bus.
The report states Bexley will monitor the issue:
“Additionally, the proposals may cause vehicles to migrate into other roads that currently have no restrictions. However, this will be monitored during the ETMO process, and adjustments will be proposed where required.”
The expansion is for 18 months before a decision is made to make permanent.
I’m surprised they’ve not included Alsike Road, it’s a nightmare down there since the Elizabeth line opened
How about they provide a parking solution?
I hear the car park on the Sainsbury side is also going as they build more flats. So basically, there is going to be no option at all.
For me, taking the bus to the station takes almost 40 minutes and is often packed, versus a 10- 15-minute drive. It takes 20 minutes to get to London, so if there are no issues, the bus takes the same time as it takes to get to London on the Elizabeth Line.
Abbey Wood is the end of the line, and people around the local area must drive in and park. Why a multistory car park could not have been built is just shortsighted.
It would have been a money earner for the council, and I would have been happy paying £100 a month for it.
The Tory council were given a budget by TFL to build car park facilities to accommodate Elizabeth Lane users but they spent it elsewhere.
A lot of the houses in that area have unused driveways, I would suggest leafletting prospective driveway renters if proximity is worth more than cost to you.
The solution is to permit anyone to park in the CPZ bays, but charge a penalty rate for all-day and long-term parking to control numbers, keep enough space for residents, and maximise revenue for councils. Maybe even keep the first 15 minutes free to keep the local businesses from complaining. Funnel the revenue into more buses to provide an attractive alternative to those who can’t/wont pay
I live in Abbey wood, since the Elizabeth line opened the whole area has been blighted by cars literally parking anywhere there is a gap. Some people think it’s ok to park in front of a dropped kerb also parking with the nose of the car facing the kerb leaving other drivers no alternative but to drive over the footpath to get around the obstruction.