Parking Riddlesdown

Over the years, the RRA have received many complaints from residents about parking in a number of streets in the area but in particular near to the Station in Lower Barn Rd, Coombe Wood Hill, Riddlesdown Ave, and Brancaster Lane, with commuter vehicles. Also in Copthorne Rise with visitors to the shops and Cafe and also close to Riddlesdown Collegiate, in Honister Heights, Grisedale Gardens and Grisedale Close with pupils and staff parking, .

Road congestion has got a lot worse over the years with both commuter and household on street parking increasing markedly. The RRA believe, this is partly because planning consents are being granted, by principally allowing garages to be demolished and extensions to houses allowed and thereby reducing off road parking in the area. Existing and many new garages are also too small for modern day sized cars and are now being used as storage. Also new buildings have very few spaces available for off street parking. Croydon Council’s current criteria on the current maximum number of spaces for flats is usually only 1 space, 1.5 spaces for terraced houses and flats and 2 spaces for detached and linked houses! No allowance is made for visitor or delivery spaces.

Many residents’ have advised us that the dropped kerbs/crossovers to their driveways and garages have been blocked by thoughtless motorists. Some thoughtless motorists do not always realise that some garages are in use!

Parking in front of a dropped kerb has been an offence for many years and it is indeed covered in Rule 243 of the Highway Code - "do not stop or park where the kerb has been lowered to help wheelchair users and powered mobility vehicles" and also "in front of an entrance to a property.” The only exception to parking outside a dropped kerb to a property or garage is where, “the vehicle is parked outside residential premises by or with the consent of the occupier of the premises - but this is not in the case of a shared/multi occupancy driveway.” A multiple occupancy driveway is a driveway used by more than one property or served by a dropped kerb that is used or shared by more than one property e.g. shared driveway, access to a block of flats or an office block. As more than one person may use this type of dropped kerb you cannot park across it even with the permission of the occupier.

Photo below; of shared/multi occupancy driveway

Parking on the Highway

Many motorists may not realise it, but there are a number of pieces of legislation that make parking of a vehicle on the highway (unless it is in a designated marked parking bay), an offence! Under s.137 of the Highways Act 1980, it could be considered to be causing a wilful obstruction. Also under Regulation 103 of the Road Vehicle (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, it is stated that no person in charge of a motor vehicle should cause their vehicle to stand on the road so as to cause an obstruction. Furthermore in Section 22 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (as amended by the 1991 RTA), if a person in charge of a vehicle causes it to remain at rest on a road in such a position or circumstances as to involve danger of injury to other persons using the road, then they will be guilty of an offence. Obstruction of the highway is usually only enforceable by the Police.

If vehicle obstructions are occurring to some narrow streets in our area that don’t have yellow line restrictions, like Riddlesdown Ave, parts of Riddlesdown Rd, Coombe Wood Hill, parts of Eskdale Gardens, Buttermere Gardens, Dalegarth Gardens, and parts of Westfield Ave etc., then contact the Police on the non-emergency number of 101.

The Police can only deal with "Unnecessary Obstructions" or "Unattended in Dangerous Position." Poor parking is not enough to satisfy the legislation, there must be something physically dangerous or something almost intentional about the obstruction, this is where effectively imprisoning a car on its drive would be an unnecessary obstruction, where as poor parking across an empty driveway doesn't have enough for Police to act.

Motorists should remember that if they park on a narrow carriageway, they may think there may be room for a car to get through the space, but in some instances PSV’s, HGV’s, ambulances, fire engines and dustcarts, which are obviously wider, will not get through! Leave at least a 10 foot (3m) gap opposite another vehicle and about 15 feet (5m) diagonally! If two vehicles are parked opposite one another and causing an obstruction, the Police could remove both vehicles! Parking is sometimes occurring in Coombe Wood Hill close to the Mitchley Ave junction on the odd number side, opposite the parking which usually occurs on the even number side only. This has been causing obstruction problems for HGV’s. It is not unusual for Riddlesdown Ave to be partly blocked as well. The Council and Police are aware of these problems and if this continues it maybe that the offending vehicles could be removed!

Further Car Parking Information from Croydon Council’s Website Link

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If an owner’s vehicle is parked on their driveway and/or in their garage and the motorist can't get OUT due to someone parking across the driveway, that is a Police matter, and the advice is to call 101 (Non-Emergency). There may be a delay but the matter should have a Police response.

If someone parks across a driveway and you can't get IN, then that's a Council matter, and you would need to contact Croydon Council. Residents who can’t get into their driveway/garage should contact Croydon Council’s Parking Hotline on 020 8760 1966 in this respect.

Code 27 of the Civil Enforcement Officers (CEO) Handbook explains this in more detail. Click the link for further information and download the handbook Link

This booklet has been devised after general consultation with the London Boroughs to provide a standard approach to issuing Penalty Charge Notices (PCN’s) across London. Parking contraventions are dealt with by issuing a Penalty Charge Notice and, in appropriate circumstances, by clamping or removing the vehicle to a pound.

The RRA understand a number of residents’ in some streets, have contacted Croydon Council and they have then issued PCN’s for parking in front of dropped kerbs/driveways/garages, with a resultant fine of £120.

A bit of thought and consideration by the motorist will prevent this and help reduce the aggravation and inconvenience for the occupier and not to mention possible cost to the motorist in fines and recovery costs!

Example photograph below; of inconsiderate parking by a motorist, where wheels are parked beyond the angled part of the dropped kerb and over the dropped kerbs to properties and can cause huge inconvenience to the occupier in exiting or entering their driveway/garage.

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