Following Southwark Council's "Street for the People Campaign", the Council are determined to roll out Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs) across the entire borough despite most of these new areas having no issues with parking, open green spaces, and very limited local transportation. This is clearly nothing more than a money-making scheme and is already causing stress and anxiety to many of our residents.

In addition to the inconvenience of having to apply for annual permits, and difficulties for visitors and tradesmen, the CPZs will be very costly for residents if they are imposed: the Council are currently planning to charge a punitive c. £300 per car, per year, just as a start in the first year. This would be bad enough, but it would almost certainly increase rapidly. For example, Hackney Council has just announced plans to increase residents’ parking permits sixfold, to over £1,200 per car per year for some types of car: See The Mirror Article.

Given the Council’s well-publicised dislike of cars and car owners, they will almost certainly do the same here, if they are given the chance.

The new rollout includes the following Southwark wards:

• Nunhead & Queens Road
• Peckham Rye
• Dulwich Hill
• Dulwich Wood
• Dulwich Village

We have written to the Council with a community letter signed by over 1,600 residents.

• We argue that the council has no legal basis or proper purpose for imposing the CPZs, and that it has failed to consult with the affected residents and businesses.
• We cite the relevant statutory provisions and authorities that limit the council’s power to impose CPZs and accuse the council of acting for improper purposes such as raising revenue, punishing car owners, and imposing its ideological views on parking.
• We point out the negative impacts of the CPZs on the residents and businesses, such as inconvenience, loss of trade, damage to conservation areas, and spill-over parking.
• We request further information from the council on its legal advice, its parking account, and its reports to the Mayor on its parking income and expenditure.
• We invite the council to halt the illegal project and debate the points raised at the next meeting or face a potential judicial review by the residents.

Regrettably, Southwark Council remains firm in their stance and are treating the letter as a complaint without answering any of our concerns.  Consequently, we're compelled to explore the legal route, potentially involving a Judicial Review, which is organised into three distinct phases:

• Legal Advice: We're in collaboration with a respected legal firm who have worked with several communities to fight similar Council decisions to evaluate the viability of a Judicial Review. Should our grounds hold merit, we intend to formally request the council to halt their actions.
• Gathering of Evidence: We're diligently collecting evidence, assisted by our legal team, to craft a compelling case for the Judicial Review.
• Court Hearing: The culmination involves presenting our case in court through legal representation, ensuring our concerns receive the necessary attention.

This journey commences with Phase 1 fundraising.  To secure the services of our legal team, we're aiming to raise around £10,000.  While the initial threshold is set at £5,000 to initiate proceedings, it's prudent to anticipate additional support required for Phases 2 and 3.

Your participation holds immense value. By contributing, you're advocating for fairness, accountability, and the collective welfare of our community. Together, we can protect our rights and preserve the unique character of our neighbourhood.

Are you ready to be a part of this endeavour? Let's unite to create a positive impact in our community.

For more information on our campaign, please check the website OpposeTheCPZ.org or email our campaign organisers at [email protected]