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WANSTEAD: Concern over impact of parking scheme on school run

3:53pm Monday 30th January 2012 in Redbridge News By Daniel Binns

Sarah Bexley with parents outside St Joseph's Convent School Sarah Bexley with parents outside St Joseph's Convent School

NEW parking restrictions near a school will cause traffic chaos and put children at risk, a parents' group has warned.

Households in Addison Road, Dangan Road, Chaucer Road and Spratt Hall Road in Wanstead voted in favour of a 12-month trial of residents-only permits last year as a way of combating Tube commuters pinching their spaces.

But parents of children at St Joseph's Convent School For Girls in nearby Cambridge Park Road have now launched an appeal to Redbridge Council to alter the proposed hours of the scheme of 8.30am to 6.30pm to allow them to park during the school run.

The Catholic independent primary takes pupils from across east London from areas as far away as Hackney, Loughton, Leyton and the Isle of Dogs, and parents insist many of them have no choice but to transport their children to the site by car.

Sarah Bexley, 41, chair of the school's parents association, warned the plan would create major jams and force parents with “no alternative” to rush in order to avoid traffic wardens, putting pupils' safety at risk.

She said: “We completely understand the situation for residents and we are not against permit parking – all we want is to be able to drop our children off safely.

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"The council could alter the hours to allow parking at the beginning and end of the school day while also ensuring commuters do not park in the streets all day long.”

More than 70 parents out of the estimated 90 who transport their children by car have signed a petition urging the council to reconsider but they say the council has ignored their concerns.

Ms Bexley, of Wavertree Road in South Woodford, added: “The restrictions will certainly result in parents circling the streets before making a desperate dash to drop and collect their children...such practices will restrict traffic flow in the local area and undoubtedly put our children's lives at risk.”

The trial scheme is being introduced after claims from neighbours that parking has reached a “nightmare” level due to new websites and text message services which inform commuters of where free spaces are near Tube stations.

A council spokeswoman said: "Redbridge Council has listened to residents' concerns in the surrounding area and proposes to implement the permit parking zone Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 6.30pm for an experimental period of 12 months.

"The school was not consulted on the operational hours because it is outside the zone where the restrictions would come into affect.

"We would stress to any parents concerned by the proposed restrictions that while they would prevent people from parking their cars they do not prevent them from stopping shortly to drop off their children.

"Also it is not proposed that Gordon Road, where the school is based, is included in these restrictions so residents would still be able to park there and in the other roads off Cambridge Park such as Highstone Avenue, Cambridge Road and Lonsdale Road.

"We do not agree with the claim that these measures will affect the safety of children."

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Comments(32)

Stephen201 says...
7:46pm Mon 30 Jan 12

Although Spratt Hall, Addison and Dangan Roads voted overwhelmingly in favour of the new Permit Zone, Gordon Road residents voted against being included in it. (Presumably they don't feel they have a commuter parking problem on their road, being that bit further from Wanstead Tube?) As Gordon Road is right next to St.Joseph's school, the sensible place for parents (who really have no other option other than to drive, despite Wanstead's excellent public transport links) would be to park on Gordon Road, surely? They won't be at risk of getting a ticket there, because Gordon Road will be outside the CPZ.

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ProPermitPete says...
8:04pm Mon 30 Jan 12

I went to the forum the Council did at the library during the parking consultation. There were a few parents from the catholic school there that day, objecting to the proposals.

I got talking to one of them, and asked her where she lived - she replied 'South Woodford'. I politely suggested that she could use the bus for the school run. "Oh, no - that would be a nightmare...." was her reply.

I'm sure there are a few parents who live as far away as the article suggests and public transport isn't an option for them, but the majority presumably live nearer - and there are clearly some of them who refuse to swap their gas guzzlers for the rather more environmentally friendly bus service...

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John, Woodford says...
12:41pm Tue 31 Jan 12

If the problem relates to parking pressure caused by commuters then a 1-hour restriction (as imposed successfully in Spratt Hall Road) should suffice. A blanket 0830-1830 is excessive. This would in-turn create more problems in surrounding roads.

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East Sider says...
1:42pm Tue 31 Jan 12

With respect, certain of the earlier contributors have missed the point.
It is all too easy to characterize parents on the school run as gas guzzling four-by-four drivers, too lazy to shepherd their young children onto public transport. This is not the forum to challenge that particular misconception. The facts are these: the consultation documentation clearly states that the residents of the Wanstead West roads have no issue with parents dropping off or picking up their children. Their issue is with commuters parking all day outside residents' houses. The parents' request to amend the operational period of the parking restriction is entirely reasonable. It will allow residents' concerns to be addressed without creating further traffic congestion. What is really behind the council's refusal to consider the amendments to the restrictions? Would it be cynical to suggest that this is simply a revenue raising exercise?

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ChazFinch says...
7:58pm Tue 31 Jan 12

"from areas as far away as Hackney, Loughton, Leyton and the Isle of Dogs"

As far away as Leyton! Wow that's 2 whole tube stops.

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ProPermitPete says...
8:01am Wed 1 Feb 12

@ East Sider: No, it wouldn't be cynical - but it would be inaccurate, I'm afraid.

This particular parking review was instigated by a group of residents (from Addison, Spratt Hall and Dangan Roads) who made a presentation to the Council that they felt that a majority of residents would vote in favour of permit parking on their roads. And the results of the consultation proved they were right: on Addison Road for example, 70% of households (of the 70% that returned their voting forms) opted in favour of the introduction of the permit zone.

The results were similar for Spratt Hall and Dangan Roads - and now Chaucer Road residents have decided they want to be included too. This is an inarguable result - the residents want it.

It may well be that the Council will raise revenue through this scheme - but the fact remains, this CPZ WASN'T foisted upon the residents by the Council, and the residents of these roads in west Wanstead are happy and willing to pay for a solution to their parking problems.

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ProPermitPete says...
8:09am Wed 1 Feb 12

@ John, Woodford: You say that the 1hr restriction has been 'successful on Spratt Hall Road' - yet the residents of that road have voted overwhelmingly for a switch to full permit parking in the last two consultations, in 2007, and in the most recent one.

This doesn't sound like it has been 'successful' to me. The 1hr restriction works well on roads with lots of off-street parking, driveways, garages etc. The 1hr restriction does NOT work well on Victorian terraced streets with minimal off-street parking - and that's why the residents of Spratt Hall Road have voted overwhelmingly (twice) to get rid of it. (And why the residents of Addison and Dangan Roads have also voted in their droves for full permit parking.)

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Stephen201 says...
9:53am Wed 1 Feb 12

So Gordon Road (where the entrance to St.Joseph's actually is, not Cambridge Park) will be outside the CPZ. And it turns out that Chestnut Drive, Highstone Ave, Cambridge Road and Lonsdale Road also voted to stay outside the permit zone. So that's all the residential streets to the south west of St.Joseph's, plus Gordon Road, where parents can park for a short period (without fear of getting a parking ticket at any time during the day) for school drop-offs and pick-ups. Surely that's enough, without them needing to get involved in changing an already approved parking scheme that's about to be implemented at the request of the residents?

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T. Watts says...
12:26pm Wed 1 Feb 12

"It's not fair, it's not fair. I'm a yummy mummy who doesn't even live in this area, yet I expect the world to revolve around me. It's important that while my merchant banker husband destroys the rest of the economy and gets a huge bonus for his trouble, that I drive around in my Chelsea Tractor and block the streets of the proles of Wanstead. This is vital because little Annabella deserves the best possible education - so I cling onto my outdated and contradictory religion that welcomes hypocrites like myself into the fold, just as long as we can keep signing the cheques. I do this because somewhere in my confused mind I believe that a school that is some way linked to divisive religion is bound to educate my child well. I don't really get it but Tamara and Sophie send their daughters here too, so one must keep up. You ruffians in Wanstead are so selfish! I'll leave my Range Rover where I like. Don't you dare scratch it! Out of the way, peasants. It's not fair, it's not fair."

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Kingfisher Bill says...
1:48pm Wed 1 Feb 12

Why do these people not just walk and burn off some calories that their often overweight kids carry?

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East Sider says...
1:54pm Wed 1 Feb 12

Thanks for your insight, @T.Watts.
It is entirely fair that the residents of the Wanstead West roads should be able to park their cars outside their own houses. It is entirely fair that parents should be permitted 20 minutes per day during term time safely to drop their children.
Fair consultation is about a balance of interests. I am sure someone as broad minded as yourself will appreciate that.

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LakeBreeze says...
1:56pm Wed 1 Feb 12

This area is richly served by public transportation. Wanstead tube station, on the central line with both Woodford and Leyton sharing the same, is literally a four minute walk away. Buses from all directions are abundant.

If it was good enough for my generation -- yes we did take the bus and tube -- then it's good enough for the spoiled parents of today to get out of their cars and use it. I'm sorry but there it is.

This school is not situated in a remote location with no recourse than arriving by car....

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T. Watts says...
2:04pm Wed 1 Feb 12

East Sider - you don't need the @ tag. You seem to be under the misapprehension that we're on Twitter or something. All this new technology is quite bewildering and difficult to master for someone of your advanced years, isn't it? Never mind.

Also, if you could be a modicum more patronising in your remarks (arrogance dressed up in wishy-washy liberalism) next time, that would be fab.

Anyway, must dash, ducky.

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amused01 says...
3:12pm Wed 1 Feb 12

It might have escaped some but there WAS a consultation on the CPZ. An extensive one; one which every affected local resident, and certainly many parents of local school children, knew about. There WAS a council meeting where both for and against the zone met and discussed the issues. This WAS done in a balanced and democratic way.

If you have an area where 70%+ of residents have a genuine problem with parking - one that affects them for the entire day, not just at school drop off times, then that needs addressing. The council were approached by the residents, and in a democratic way acted for the residents.

The scheme is to be rolled out for 3 maybe 4 roads - certainly where I live in Addison Road I would doubt strongly that there are many available spaces for parents dropping their children off to park in at 8.30 - 9am on a daily basis - its usually full of commuters by then (I leave for work at 8 and there are very few free spaces).

What I suggest is that the parents use the ample parking in the Catholic Church at the top of Addison and Dangan if spaces cannot be found. There are always lots of spaces at that time of the morning.

Whilst some of the sarcasm and japes above make good reading, the facts are there was a democratic, well publicised consultation on the CPZ with an overwhelming outcome and a very thorough discussion in the associated council meeting.

There is now a 12 month trial period - if there are genuine problems then these will arise in that period and be subject to review at the end of it. The time for moaning was 3/4 months ago. Not now.

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Eastender139 says...
5:53pm Wed 1 Feb 12

As parents we simply want to get our children safely into school. If the council and residents do not wish to review an all day restriction to parking in the roads mentioned, then parents will find alternatives. Parking in the church car park is not permitted as suggested previously.

As much as local residents have the right to voice their views, parents of children at St Josephs Convent School exercise that same right to request the local council and residents consider a review of restriction to permit short term parking alt the start and end of the
school day.

I live in Hackney and have no option but to drive to school. Despite excellent bus and tube links to Wanstead the round trip takes 90 minutes.

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Redbridge resident says...
5:56pm Wed 1 Feb 12

I fully sympathize with the residents living within such close proximity of the tube and it seems there is certainly a need for some form of controlled parking to deter commuters from parking up all day outside their homes. However I don't see that offering a small window within the 10hour CPZ for parents to drop off and collect their young children during term time as being such a big deal (certainly as to provoke such offensive comments). Isn't it a win win win situation? Residents are rid of commuter parkers and parents collect their children safely oh, and the council make a killing.

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Kingfisher Bill says...
5:57pm Wed 1 Feb 12

Eastender139 wrote:
As parents we simply want to get our children safely into school. If the council and residents do not wish to review an all day restriction to parking in the roads mentioned, then parents will find alternatives. Parking in the church car park is not permitted as suggested previously.

As much as local residents have the right to voice their views, parents of children at St Josephs Convent School exercise that same right to request the local council and residents consider a review of restriction to permit short term parking alt the start and end of the
school day.

I live in Hackney and have no option but to drive to school. Despite excellent bus and tube links to Wanstead the round trip takes 90 minutes.
Why don't you send your kids to a school in hackney in the first place instead of taking up places here anyhow?

Also, why do you not park a mile or so away and walk the last bit?

No wonder the Country is in such a mess.

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StJosephParent says...
10:30pm Wed 1 Feb 12

Kingfisher Bill wrote:
Eastender139 wrote:
As parents we simply want to get our children safely into school. If the council and residents do not wish to review an all day restriction to parking in the roads mentioned, then parents will find alternatives. Parking in the church car park is not permitted as suggested previously.

As much as local residents have the right to voice their views, parents of children at St Josephs Convent School exercise that same right to request the local council and residents consider a review of restriction to permit short term parking alt the start and end of the
school day.

I live in Hackney and have no option but to drive to school. Despite excellent bus and tube links to Wanstead the round trip takes 90 minutes.
Why don't you send your kids to a school in hackney in the first place instead of taking up places here anyhow?

Also, why do you not park a mile or so away and walk the last bit?

No wonder the Country is in such a mess.
I cannot believe that a simple request for a review in all day parking restrictions to accommodate a local school (that has been part of the community since 1918) could instigate such venomous and personal comments!

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StJosephParent says...
10:31pm Wed 1 Feb 12

I cannot believe that a simple request for a review in all day parking restrictions to accommodate a local school (that has been part of the community since 1918) could instigate such venomous and personal comments!

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Stephen201 says...
12:23am Thu 2 Feb 12

As I've said, there is ample parking for St.Joseph's parents on roads that will be outside the CPZ - on Gordon Road, Chestnut Drive, Highstone Ave, Cambridge Road, Lonsdale Road etc - where there'll be safe parking all day, with no risk of getting a ticket. However, the I suspect the reason these roads don't appeal to the average St.Joseph's parent is because they're all a bit too far from Belgique (or wherever) for them to stop off for a coffee and a natter...

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Eastender139 says...
8:53am Thu 2 Feb 12

The surrounding roads not in the proposed CPZ will soon be joining as a result of displaced commuter parking. My suggestion would be a restriction from 9.30 - 2.30 and a pay and display facility to allow people not in walking distance to access the restaurants, cafe's, library, shops, dentists, pharmacy, banks, opticians etc on the high street, thus preventing all day commuter parking and the coffee/natter brigade from hanging around the residential roads of Wanstead for too long.

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Stephen201 says...
9:15am Thu 2 Feb 12

Pay and Display? Never going to happen. That was overwhelmingly rejected by local traders/residents last year. (You're clearly not a Wanstead resident if you're unaware of the heated and vocal debates that went on for months on the subject of Pay and Display...) As for commuter parking being displaced as far afield as Cambridge Road/Lonsdale Road - maybe. But I'd question how far away from the Tube an out-of-town commuter would be prepared to park up and still consider the walking distance 'convenient'... And as 'amused01' rightly says, the time for debating this (and the specifics of the hours the CPZ is going to be enforced) was in the many public forums at the Council's Area1 committee meetings last year - not now.

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Eastender139 says...
9:32am Thu 2 Feb 12

A search in this newspaper will reveal the plight of local traders complaining that residential parking restrictions are already affecting local business.

Where I live we have both (residential pemit parking and pay and display areas on the high street and some residential streets surrounding the Homerton Hospital) and it works for everyone, residents, traders and local schools.

It was just a suggestion. I don't imagine anything will change as a result of this debate. Parents did attend local meetings and did present their concerns at the time.

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Redbridge resident says...
10:51am Thu 2 Feb 12

Letters detailing objections to the 10hr CPZ were sent 3 months ago to the council stating in essence that parking was already difficult at either end of the school day and that such extended hours would exacerbate the problem, that while it was well known that residents were concerned to prevent commuters the restrictions proposed were disproportionate to this concern and were inconsiderate of parents who require parking for short defined periods. An exception (a very minor tweaking of the stated hours) was requested. This was rejected without having consulting residents. The council have apologised for this oversight and this potential procedural error is being looked into. As for parking on Gordon Rd, Highstone and Cambridge Rd these roads are mainly used by parking parents of Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School and will undoubtedly be subject to displaced parking.The church car park
is not permitted. Implementation of CPZ may result in a few families changing their mode of transport from car to public transport which should be encouraged. However commuters at rush hour are not generally known for their chivalry. Getting into & onto the tube with young children in tow, lunch bags, pe kits, musical instruments, school bags and a baby in a buggy at 8.15am . . I'd say that was at best a very bad dream.

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Annabella19 says...
11:46am Thu 2 Feb 12

My understanding is that this country still allows freedom of expression, of protest and of choice of education for their children, even if they are named Annabella, are of advanced years and Catholic. Well done to concerned residents and parents of this small primary school for bringing the debate back on track. It seems from the points made that a solution to everyone's woes could be found with just a little compromise.

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amused01 says...
12:12pm Thu 2 Feb 12

Some of the difficulty here would seem to stem from the fact that Gordon Road and beyond so not have a CPZ so will soak up some of the displaced commuter parking. Its difficult to have a CPZ that is tailored for a particular area - i.e. 8am - 3pm for one area, 8.30am to 6.30pm on the other side of Wanstead - 1 hr restictions in some places - its madness to have differing times in such a small area - hence why a blanket approach to CPZs and times are adopted.

Its a 12 month trial - lets all give it a go and see if it works - no-one on these chains knows for sure how well it will work.

And residents were consulted on the times of the CPZ - they were invited to choose what times they would prefer.

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ProPermitPete says...
1:30pm Thu 2 Feb 12

@Eastender139 - your comment about High Street trade being affected by permit zones is a bit 'off topic', but seeing as you have raised it, please allow me to respond. This has been debated at length over the last year or so at the various council meetings:

The simple fact of the matter is this - currently, by 8.30am every weekday (ie well before the shops on the High Street are open), the Tube commuters have turned up and taken the vast majority of the available parking spaces on Addison and Dangan Rds. As a result, there is nowhere in west Wanstead for High Street shoppers to park - and this is the case for the entire day, as the Tube commuters' cars are there until after the High Street shops have shut.

Because of this, the introduction of the permit zone will have minimal effect on the High Street. The status quo will merely be maintained - ie shoppers won't be able to park in west Wanstead during the week, which is the case now.

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Redbridge resident says...
1:51pm Thu 2 Feb 12

A trial for a year period is fair but why not trial a CPZ with shorter hours (only very slightly shortened - we proposed 2 small windows either end of the school day to the council back in November) with view to extending hours if measures have proved to be ineffective. I fail to see that this would prove too complicated. This way children's safety is not compromised during the trial period.

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E11resident says...
4:25pm Thu 2 Feb 12

I am aresident of this area. Some of the 'commuters' are also parents at the school, they arrive early drop there children at the childminders, then leave their cars parked all day in the surrounding roads. Also parents of St Joseph's consistently park on the double yellow lines outside the school, the double yellow lines are there to provide some safety for their children,yet children's safety doesn't seem to bother them then.

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Redbridge resident says...
10:11pm Thu 2 Feb 12

The number of cars on double yellow lines is indicative of the current lack of spaces available to park at beginning and end of school day. This is only set to worsen if all day CPZ is implemented.

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E11resident says...
12:52am Fri 3 Feb 12

The number of cars parked on double yellow lines is indicative of these parents lack of respect for parking restrictions, child safety and their unwillingness to walk their children more than 50 yards to school. There are spaces in the area just not right outside the school.

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mediator;) says...
2:00pm Sat 4 Feb 12

As someone familiar with Wanstead I am sympathetic to the concerns of both the residents and parents in this debate. Introducing the CPZ to prevent "tube commuters" from parking their vehicles all day is understandable and all parties except maybe the commuters are sympathetic to this. The issue is simply with the duration of the restriction. Even a short restriction from 12-2pm for example would have the same effect in achieving this goal and at the same time would allow parents to stop, drop and go without penalty.

You would hope that the council in making their suggestion of parking in other nearby roads including Gordan Road which is already saturated with parked vehicles would have considered this and that the displaced commuters will also use these roads and therefore perpetuate the problem.

Resident parking schemes are expensive and somewhat irksome for those residents involved, with the constant patrol of traffic wardens, the doling out of visitors permits for friends and workmen and the potential above inflation increases in cost year on year introduced by the council. The old adage, be careful what you wish for springs to mind.

One would hope that in an understanding and tolerant society, a small compromise in the proposed scheme would achieve the same result for the residents and accomodate the parents at the same time.

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