Save the North Lane East Car Park

This article has been produced by TRANEH (Teddington Residents Association – Neighbours of Elleray Hall).

The proposed closure of the North Lane East car park has generated considerable community concern as reflected by almost 1,500 "Save the Car Park" petition signatures. The community needs this car park.

The car park is an important public asset serving the needs of local businesses and residents. The importance of this asset was recognised and supported by the former MP, Vince Cable who, along with others, successfully campaigned against the previous closure proposal.

The Council's latest proposal to close this long-established public service is again ill conceived, unreasonable and unjustified, and will cause lasting harm to Teddington. Such poor decision making based on evidence from outdated and misleading surveys must be challenged in the strongest of terms. 

The proposed new CPZs in the neighbouring roads will reduce the number of parking spaces and increase the need for paid parking availability. The greater traffic generated by the wider scope envisaged for the "community centre" will inevitably exacerbate stresses further. The Council admits that the increase in parking pressure, would significantly surpass its own guidelines and recommendations on acceptable levels. The adverse impact on residents and local businesses has not been given due legal consideration in the headlong pursuit to redevelop at all costs. 

Residents local to Elleray Hall have made it clear in their objections to the planning application to re-site the hall, that rather than starting with the planning application and then turning to the parking issue, the Council should have started first by considering the effect upon the local highways and parking situation. In failing to do this, the Council has approached this whole issue the wrong way round and are pursuing an irrational project to the detriment of the local parking situation and neighbour amenity. Residents support a viable solution of a refurbished or rebuilt hall on the same site and social housing in the hoarded off area in the old depot site.

The Highways Department's proposal to issue a notice of the closure of the car park was apparently automatically triggered by the Planning Committee's permission to the plans for a new community centre on the car park location. However, as the Senior Planning Officer informed, the granting of planning permission for the new hall does not grant permission to close the car park. These are two separate processes, and the closure of a long-established public service has to be subject to a separate assessment process.

The car park closure proposal should be rejected and the Elleray Hall reprovision scheme properly reconsidered based on factual information including parking, service provision required, actual numbers of users and the high and escalating costs associated with the present scheme.

 Many local authorities recognise the importance of a robust off-street parking infrastructure and support it by offering free parking and by being proactive in the installation of electric vehicle charging points in town centre car parks. Richmond Council would do well to consider such good practice, North Lane East car park can offer this option.

If you share our concerns about the closure of the North Lane East car park, you may wish to take part in the consultation process and register your objections, using the direct link or email address below.

Direct link or [email protected].