New Malden residents fight for controlled parking

Residents of Dunbar Road and Beresford Road in New Malden have joined forces to petition the council to introduce controlled parking on both roads, following a marked decrease in parking spaces available to residents.

The problem has been caused, they believe, by three main factors - people who work in the Kingspark Business centre using the streets to park in, occupants of Crown House on Kingston Road using the streets to park in, and a number of dumped vehicles. 

They also believe that a number of other non-residents regularly park in the roads, including many commercial vehicles, plus football supoprters attending Kingsmeadow stadium on match days. 

A number of residents have been forced to double-park their cars because of not being able to park legally, and have subsequently received parking tickets for doing so.  

After complaining to the council, Dunbar Road residents held a residents meeting earlier this summer, which was attended by Ian Price and Paul Drummond of Malden and Coombe Neighbourhood, local councillor Trevor Heap and Leigh Abbot from Kingspark Business Centre. At the meeting residents heard:

1. That Kingspark Business Centre would continue to charge users for parking there, but will continue to encourage others to sign up to their new parking conditions

2. That after conducting his own surveys on both roads, Ian Price was in complete agreement and admitted that there is a significant parking problem on both roads

3. That Maldens and Coombe Neighbourhood Committee would not consider isolated Controlled Parking Zones. However, if both roads were to join forces and petition together, it would be fully considered rather than thrown out. 

There is a Maldens and Coombe Neighbourhood Committee meeting on Monday 26th September, at Christ Church, New Malden. The residents of Dunbar Road will be submitting the joint petition at this meeting, and Dunbar Road and Beresford Road residents are welcome to attend. 

We will of course follow this story and update you on any progress - and hopefully success! 

Does anyone else find parking in their own street difficult? Let us know!