Below are some of the questions that are most frequently asked of the Parking Service when a controlled parking zone is to be consulted.
Why must I buy a permit to park in my own road?
A new parking scheme will make it easier for you to park. But the scheme will cost money to set up and run. Someone has to pay. Our policy is that the people who will get the benefit from a parking scheme are the people who should pay for it. Our Resident's Permits are among the cheapest in London.
Will a new scheme make it easier to park at night?
No. In most roads where residents own more vehicles than parking spaces, it is not possible to make more room. This is particularly noticeable at night when residents return home from work. Unfortunately, in densely populated areas, where many households own more than one vehicle and off-street parking facilities are limited, this is a common problem.
Will the scheme guarantee me a space outside my house?
No. A controlled parking scheme on the public highway cannot reserve specific parking spaces for individuals. However, the removal of day parking by people outside of the area will make it easier to park near your home or business.
We don't have parking problems, so why include my road?
If we introduce a parking scheme to a busy area, many people will park further out - perhaps in your road if they can park there free. So it may be in your interest to be part of the new parking zone rather than just outside it.
Why not have one parking permit for the whole borough?
The purpose of parking controls is to make it easier for people to park near their homes and businesses. If the whole borough was one big zone, people in some areas , such as near stations would still find it difficult to park. Why? Because their street would be full of cars belonging to people from other parts of Wandsworth.
Yellow lines give us less room to park. Why have them?
We'll have to put road markings along every bit of road. We have to mark the places where you can and cannot park. We'll put yellow lines where parked cars could cause danger, for example at junctions or where parked cars cause an obstruction. Clear junctions are safer for drivers and pedestrians and allow cars to turn safely.
What about my visitors?
Your visitors could buy a ticket from a Pay & Display machine or use a Resident Visitor Permit.
Do we have to have ticket machines, signposts and lines?
Unfortunately, to enable a controlled zone to be enforced, it is necessary to install ticket machines, road markings and signs. However, we are very conscious of the appearance of the street scene and we will always try to minimise the visual intrusion of the equipment. For example, we try to site ticket machines on flank walls and locate signs at boundary walls, not outside windows. A positive aspect is that controlled parking zones can improve the visual environment by reducing the number of parked vehicles.
We have two cars, can we get two permits?
One person can only have one permit. The permit will only cover one vehicle (the registration number being on the permit). If your household has two cars, you can apply for a permit for one car and someone else in the household must apply for another one.
Will I still be able to park on the white lines across my access?
Not during the hours of operation of the controlled parking zone. Yellow lines will have to be painted across the driveway because anyone could legally park there. No exemption can be given for a specific driver to park.
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