Sunday 25 January 2009

Hackney Wick Controlled Parking Zone?


We all found out about the Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) for Hackney Wick at the Community Meeting last week. But what does it mean for Leabank Square?

Well...... the whole reason for the CPZ in our surrounding streets - is because of the influx of visitors & workers to the Olympic Construction site. The Olympic gates in White Post Lane are going to be opened for construction workers in the next few weeks. Theoretically - they should all be commuting to the site by public transport (most to Hackney Wick Station) - but we all know what happens - many of them will chance it with their own cars.

In order to discourage this - Hackney Council is thinking about imposing a Controlled Parking Zone all around the Wick. This means that those that persist in driving into the Wick will have to find alternative places to park. All our parking spaces here in Leabank Square will be very juicy tempting places for them.

We spoke to someone at the Olympic Development Agency (ODA) last week - and she hinted that they might sponsor a barrier gate at the entrance to Leabank Square. This would have a token/permit system for us residents & visitors only to use - and prevent heaps of construction site workers from using our parking spaces every day.

We are at the very early stages of planning this at the moment - Hackney Council hasn't even confirmed the CPZ yet - but we do need to start thinking ahead in order to have some control of what happens next.


There are many things to think about:


If the ODA sponsor the gate - they probably might not maintain it - so how do we manage the maintenance of it?


What kind of gate do we need?

What about the many deliveries to the many businesses in Leabank Square?

What will we do about all the school run drivers who use the square to drop off their children to Gainsborough School?

The service charge may have to be increased in order to pay for this - is that fair on non-vehicle owning residents?

What about residents who have more than one vehicle?

What about all the trailers in Leabank Square?

How do we discourage cars from parking on the entrance sidewalks - in order to keep them free for pedestrians?

Who gets rid of the numerous dumped cars in Leabank Square?

Who pays for the re-painting of the parking bay markings?

Do we even mind if construction site workers park in Leabank Square?



What does everyone else think?




21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Sóna

I don't think I can afford to have my service charge increasing at all!! I know we have a car, but that's the reason that we really can't afford any increase.

Anyway - with the way that PMMS have been fleecing us all over the years - they can afford to pay for any maintainance for many years to come.

Jeff

Anonymous said...

To start with Maybe the residents of Leabank Square could set an example and NOT park on the pavements or leave broken down/untaxed cars in spaces that are clearly Numbered for the relevant houses.Some could also try to show a bit of common courteosy by ensuring their visitors park in Visitors bays and not in a numbered bay,this also applies for workmen/repairmen. Just to clarify, there are only 13 visitors spaces in the whole of Leabank Square. The school run cars have always and will continue to be a thorn in our side, unless we get Gainsborough on our side as well as the council & ODA to educate the parents who continue to use our Square as a car park. In my opinion the best thing for the Square is an automatic bollard (please see link)http://www.edsuk.com/item.php?id=105
these allow pedestrians,bikes prams & delivery bikes to still get through without having to have a pass and hopefully stop people dumping cars or joy riding round the square.

Anonymous said...

Hi Zoulla
We've never met, but you really make brilliant observations! Excellent point about the entrance. If we ever get the entry system up & running - we have got to get heavy duty bollards planted on the entrance sidewalk to prevent cars from ramping up onto the pavement - preventing pedestrians, cyclists, buggy pushers, small children, etc from passing in & out of Leabank Square.

I - for one - will be grateful for some kind of boom/gate/entry system into Leabank Square - as it would prevent joy-riders, fly-tippers, wheel-barrow stealers and car dumpers from simly gaining access.
Matt

Anonymous said...

Sóna

I know last night you said that the CPZ was nowhere near confirmed, but I can't see how they cannot put one in place.

I work near wembley - and when they were building the stadium - the first few weeks were hell! We couldn't even walk from the station to work because cars were parked everywhere!

After their CPZ was drawn up - there were still people taking the mickey, but it was a whole lot better!

We are definenetly going to need a CPZ here in The Wick - bacause some people are just car junkies - they HAVE to travel by car. They will park all over our streets. The new Council Refuse Car Park in Chapman Road has already caused a massive increase in their refuse trucks blundering along Berkshire Road as the speed bumps are ineffective to them - and this makes the roads one way streets with all the cars parked on each side!

Plus - this will hopefully sort out those garages who park all over the corners of Wallis/ Berkshire Roads especially at the pedestrian drops!

Sóna, cyclists like us can't stay out of the gate debate, because we will definetley be affected by more cars congregated in our tiny entrance. The more cars there are there, the more dangerous it will become for pedestrians, cyclists, children walking to school along Berkshire Road and dog walkers.

I say we ask the ODA to install the best, most high tech, best entry system around today - for the safety of all concerned.

Paul

Anonymous said...

We should have a CPZ already! There are so many cars parked all along our streets that it makes it very dangerous for our kids to cross the roads as it is.

Bershire Road & Felstead Road are particularly dangerous - and they are the two that we need to cross in order to get to the convenience stall. Because the cars are all parked along them, a short child is hidden from the huge trucks that thunder along them. There is no safe place to cross at ANY time of the day, and it's only a matter of time before a terrible accident happens.

As for you square? Maybe you should do what we did in Wick Village when the Sunday market was on at the stadium - employ a clamping company to police the parking.

Nicola

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

Thanks for letting us know about this CPZ. I am VERY worried about Leabank Square during this implementation.

The PMMS bunch are less than useless, and if the ODA is going to deal with them, they could be as ripped off as we are every year when the Service Charge bill appears!

But - what if they deal with the management companies of the front 2 blocks, where does that leave the whole square regarding the demarkation of parking spaces? And what about the maintainance?

We need to discuss this at the next meeting?

Gill

Anonymous said...

Dear Hackney Council

Please install this CPZ immediately! It would mean that there would be a lot more traffic inforcement officers patrolling the area, and that can only be a good thing!

Besides there being more pairs of passive surveillance eyes - the irresponsible parents who drop off their children here at Gainsborough School will think twice about parking at the entrance to Trowbridge & Leabank.

Every morning - all our car parks are clogged up with parents who are too lazy to walk a few metres to the school!! Either that - or they are a bit paranoid about getting their hair a bit damp?

Please Hackney Council - for the safety of all our children - install the CPZ right away.

Anonymous said...

I forgot to mention that if the automatic bollard system IS put in place, then the two areas at the front of the square,(currently painted in Yellow saying "NO PARKING") beside the 2 front blocks should be used as waiting bays ONLY, for queuing/waiting to go in or out of the square. This will enable residents to wait in their cars while bollards go up or down without obstructing Berkshire Road or the bus stops.

Leabank Square said...

Hi Zoulla

It's a good idea to have some space to get the cars, Tesco vans, courier bikes, etc to wait until the gate could be opened.

But we all know some of the residents who live in those front two blocks REALLY love parking RIGHT outside the doors!! They REALLY cannot walk the extra 3 metres to the allotted spaces!!

So what is going to happen when some of the residents park there. For example: A Tesco van & a Parcel Force van turn up at the entrance, have to get out to buzz their customers flats, a car wants to come out, some kids come back from school, and a pizza delivery bike - ALL TURN UP AT THE SAME TIME?!?

It's going to happen!! At least once a day!

So how are we going to stop the front two blocks residents from cluttering up the entrace 'waiting area' - while all this is going on?

Do we relinquish control of this space to Hackney Councils parking enforcement officers to clamp & tow away? Do we bollard this area up? Do we hire our own clamping agency to check this entrance & the inside parking spaces to see if cars have the right permits in their windscreens? What do we do?

What do other estates do? Does all this mean an increase in our service charge? Will non-car owning residents have to pay as well? Will 2 or 3 car owning residnts have to pay more than single car owners? Will trailer & covered car owners also have to pay?

No one even sees those 'emergency vehicle signs in the entrance any more. I wonder if they will take notice of yellow stripes? Will they take more notice of fines perhaps?

So many questions?!

peace
Sóna

Anonymous said...

Sóna
We cannot let PMMS handle this for the square!

As usual they will take the ODA's money, and then hike our service charge up to the hills AGAIN, and say that the 'running costs' are to blame.

Somehow, we have got to get the new Mosaic RA to take charge of the management. They do it in many other estates already, so they have the experience.

If this does go ahead, then ALL the residents (non-car residents included) must be consulted.

Whatever happens will change the character of the entrance forever! It already doesn't look THAT friendly & inviting - and a barrier of ANY sort will make it look a lot more unfriendly.

It must be sympathetically done is what I guess I'm saying!
Bill

Anonymous said...

Hi all

I know that PMMS are REALLY rubbish, but they may have to be the ones that manage a gate or boom or barrier or whateverwecallit!

If it is sited at the furthest bit of sidewalk from the road in the entrance - then it probably falls in their jurisdiction anyway.

We just need to make VERY sure that the financial agreements between PMMS and the ODA are VERY transparent!! There must be no 'administrative costs' hidden somewhere in the finances again!!

As for the system? The only one I can see working is a wireless one. The kind where we all have a wireless control in each residence - the visitor, delivery driver, postie, pizza bike, etc - then buzz us from the terminal at the gate - we press a button - barrier opens - job done!

There is no way that anyone will afford to lay a network of cables to each residence for an intercom system. Wireless is the way forward!

Anonymous said...

Sóna

I agree with anon above - except for another addition - the unit in our own residence must have a small CCTV screen on it in order to see exactly who is buzzing our home asking to be let in.

If we can't see the actual vehicle - any old person is still going to drive into the entrance - buzz as many numbers as they want until they're let in.

Once in - we're back to square one - loads of construction workers parking in any empty bays.

Remember how many of the Felstead Flats workers started parking in Leabank Square once Felstead Street filled up?

Whatever entry system we use - must allow us to actually see whoever is buzzing us to enter - otherwise it's pointless having a barrier at all!

Mary

Anonymous said...

Ok.. A Buzzer/intercom system will not work and will be far too costly. Wiring etc will also be a nightmare as each home would need some sort of installation at some point . The automatic barriers work by picking up a signal from a tag/fob inside the car and automatically raise or lower.

If the barrier is NOT an option, then why not use clampers & put signs saying "RESIDENTS PARKING ONLY". Then all resident vehicles should have the appropriate "Leabank Square" badge inside the car windscreen and should avoid getting clamped. The badges should be FREE to all residents as we pay far too much service charge already! oh and by the way there's a number of reasons why it says "NO PARKING" by the front blocks. 1. So Residents to those blocks can gain access to said blocks. 2.to access said bin area. 3. so Bin men can get the rubbish out to name but a few reasons

Anonymous said...

Hi

As someone who actually lives in one of these two front blocks, I find it so anti-social and inconsiderate when my own neighbours park their cars right up on the pavement outside our entrance doors!!!

Sometimes the refuse collectors can't even wheel the bins out to their truck!

But it also encourages other car owners to park all along this pavement, thus forcing all residents to walk in the road. This is particularly difficult for families with buggies to navigate!

Please, all the car owners in our front 2 blocks, have some consideration for everyone else, and park where you are supposed to!!

Anonymous said...

Please DO NOT let PMMS anywhere near any grant we might get from the ODA!!!

We all know what rip-off merchants they are with our service charges! If the ODA are going to be kind enough to mitigate the increase in Olympic workers driving into the Wick (& thus Leabank Square) for the next 5-7 years, then it would be better if they simply get permission from the Freeholder - and get one of their own site's company's to do it!

PLEASE - PMMS are going to suck all the money through their greedy little straws!!

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna
I've just visited my sister over in Greenwich whose estate is kinda similar to ours. They have a kind of entryphone system for cars.

You stop at a wall and enter the number of the flat you're visiting. Then in her flat the entryphone rings, with a tiny black & white screen next to it. You chat and decide if you want to let the car/van/bike in.

But - get this - the whole thing is wireless!! Apparently it costs less to install a wireless system for their 10 blocks, than lay cables to every flat!

Maybe something to think about?
Maria

Anonymous said...

hi everyone,

if we get the CPZ zones in place, that would mean we would have to buy permits for our cars. the yearly figures are quite expensive, starting from £40 all the way to £220 depending on your cars. even more expensive if you have 2 cars. the price will also go up when the olympics come to town could even go up buy 25%.

i've been to a place in dalston, a small housing estate. which has a perfect and yet simple way of stopping people from parking and it should cost that much to set up.

it a bollard system, which folds up and down manually. if all parking bays have one or two of the bollard and padlocks to keep it secure. and maybe there might be a little fee to get the key to the padlock to have for the bay.

the only people that could park are people with the keys. if you do it any other way we would be forking out more money in the long run, with the council, private clampers, maintenance, and etc.

Anonymous said...

Hi Anonymous!!

That is a really great idea! I think I know the kind of things you're talking about. You sort of lock them upright when you leave your parking bay - and unlock them flat when you return.

WE would still need to plant solid & substancial bollards on the sidewalks at the entrance to Leabank Square - as I'm sure some construction site drivers will be looking for ANY place to park.

But - while we're at it - we should plant bollards on ALL the sidewalks!! If you walk around to the canalside of the middle block - you'll see a few cars parked on the wider sidewalk in front of the block almost ALL the time!!

Great idea though!!

Suzie

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

You know - I think this topic is the one that will vex a lot of people. Maybe this is the one that will make us all stand together against PMMS?

They have fleeced us all for so many years - that now it's payback time! There is no way that they should be able to get their grubby little hands on any of the grant the ODA might put up for this.

We will never see it again - and then be invoiced for some fictitious admin correspondence!

Let's try and keep it with the Community Association!

Paul

Anonymous said...

Shona
I say we turn Leabank Square into a car-free residential square!!

Some of the residents even have more that one car per household!?!

Imagine if we all started cycling & walking & using public transport? We could have a far larger green, there would be no fumes & oil stains polluting Leabank Square, our kids could play everywhere without some petrol-head motoring into the entrance like it's a rally circuit, no more dumped cars, no more 'waiting to be overhauled-under-tarpaulin' wrecks - in short - a better standard of living for every resident!

Anyone with me?
Vic

Anonymous said...

Hello Sóna

Personally I'm not too fussed what kind of system we have in the Square - as long as pmms don't have anything to do with it!

Bunch of dodgy types!
Maureen