A wave of parking protest

12:24pm Wednesday 14th August 2002

Mounting protest has been growing among residents and businesses this week over Croydon Council's controversial parking proposals.

The borough's parking department has been inundated with complaints over the plans to introduce increased parking charges and to extend the controlled parking zone times to seven days a week, 7am to 7pm.

A hike in Croydon town centre parking charges came into effect on Monday (August 12) but a scheme to extend controlled parking zones in the borough is still out on consultation with possible introduction date in October.

Motorists, residents and businesses still have time to officially lodge their complaints about the scheme, with an August 21 deadline.

Ruling councillors have defended the scheme, saying it is necessary to tackle growing congestion problems in central part of the borough and to encourage more people to use public transport.

But petitions of protest have been springing up all over the borough.

Motorist organisation, Sense with Roads, has joined forces with the Canning and Clyde Residents Association and local businesses in Addiscombe to fight the proposals, writing letters to the council's parking department and highways cabinet member, Councillor Gerry Ryan.Furious residents in South Croydon have also set up a campaign Croydon Residents Against Parking Plans (CRAPP), launching their own web site to urge motorists to protest before the August 21 consultation deadline.

Paula Norton, who lives in Temple Road, said: "I've never known the neighbourhood to band together like this and rally against these proposals. People have been out leafleting after work and making sure that everyone who can complain, does complain about it."

Eileen Clubb, from Ledbury Road, has been sticking posters to lamp posts in South Croydon to urge people to sign one of the many petitions being displayed in local shops and restaurants, who fear they will lose business if customers are not able to park.