100 signatures reached
To: Swanscombe and Greenhithe town council
NO to parking fee hike proposal at The Grove car park!
We, the undersigned, call on Swanscombe and Greenhithe town council to scrap their proposal to significantly increase parking fees for The Grove car park, Swanscombe.
We ask you to not introduce overnight and weekend parking tariffs and to not restrict free parking to only two hours.
We call for these proposals to be re-evaluated and for complete transparency for this and for other future proposals that will impact Swanscombe residents, businesses, community groups and visitors.
We ask you to not introduce overnight and weekend parking tariffs and to not restrict free parking to only two hours.
We call for these proposals to be re-evaluated and for complete transparency for this and for other future proposals that will impact Swanscombe residents, businesses, community groups and visitors.
Why is this important?
As Swanscombe residents, we know only too well that parking in the local area can be extremely challenging on a daily basis.
With an ever increasing population due to mass development in the surrounding areas, bringing an increase in commuters using the local train station and an increase in use of local amenities, the demand for parking has never been higher.
With on-street parking at such a premium, residents, businesses, employees, community groups and visitors regularly rely on our local car park in The Grove, Swanscombe to alleviate the issues surrounding the frequent lack of on-street parking.
Many local residents, businesses and community venues in the immediate vicinity to The Grove, do not have the luxury of private off-street parking and will often utilise The Grove public car park, particularly overnight and at weekends.
If Swanscombe and Greenhithe town council's proposal to introduce a significant increase in daily charges, new overnight and weekend tariffs, all managed via ANPR cameras, go ahead, we fear that, not only will further demand for on-street parking increase dramatically, resulting in residents having nowhere to park due to the car park becoming an unaffordable option, but we also risk -
* Public safety, particularly for more vulnerable groups in our community and particularly after dark.
*Accessibility risk - for emergency vehicles, for refuse collections due to increase in on-street parking.
*Increase in illegal and dangerous parking due to lack of space to park safely and legally.
*Negative community cohesion due to disputes over parking.
*Businesses and community groups suffering as a result of staff, customer and visitor parking issues.
We realise that SGTC need to raise funds, with their finances falling into disarray, however this should NOT be at expense of local residents, businesses, community groups, visitors etc.
We ask that SGTC re-evaluates this proposal with the time, care and consideration it deserves and not to make knee-jerk decisions over something so potentially impactful and detrimental to the local area and it's residents.
Thank you.
With an ever increasing population due to mass development in the surrounding areas, bringing an increase in commuters using the local train station and an increase in use of local amenities, the demand for parking has never been higher.
With on-street parking at such a premium, residents, businesses, employees, community groups and visitors regularly rely on our local car park in The Grove, Swanscombe to alleviate the issues surrounding the frequent lack of on-street parking.
Many local residents, businesses and community venues in the immediate vicinity to The Grove, do not have the luxury of private off-street parking and will often utilise The Grove public car park, particularly overnight and at weekends.
If Swanscombe and Greenhithe town council's proposal to introduce a significant increase in daily charges, new overnight and weekend tariffs, all managed via ANPR cameras, go ahead, we fear that, not only will further demand for on-street parking increase dramatically, resulting in residents having nowhere to park due to the car park becoming an unaffordable option, but we also risk -
* Public safety, particularly for more vulnerable groups in our community and particularly after dark.
*Accessibility risk - for emergency vehicles, for refuse collections due to increase in on-street parking.
*Increase in illegal and dangerous parking due to lack of space to park safely and legally.
*Negative community cohesion due to disputes over parking.
*Businesses and community groups suffering as a result of staff, customer and visitor parking issues.
We realise that SGTC need to raise funds, with their finances falling into disarray, however this should NOT be at expense of local residents, businesses, community groups, visitors etc.
We ask that SGTC re-evaluates this proposal with the time, care and consideration it deserves and not to make knee-jerk decisions over something so potentially impactful and detrimental to the local area and it's residents.
Thank you.
