Transport for London’s consultation with local residents and businesses about parking on the A24 Red Route has been delayed until after the London mayoral and GLA elections on 1st May. The authority has a policy of not conducting politically-sensitive consultations close to an election so as to not influence or to be seen to be influencing the vote.

Over 2000 residents, traders and visitors to Stonecot Hill signed a petition in August 2007 asking for a review of local parking arrangements which were felt not to reflect the needs of local people.

Paul Burstow visited Stonecot Hill on Friday (19 October) to talk with local traders and residents about parking facilities and improving the area.

Sutton and Cheam’s Liberal Democrat MP walked the length of Stonecot Hill’s shopping parade to assess the difficulties caused by current parking regulations and the state of the street scene generally.

Mr Burstow will be writing to Transport for London to clarify the parking consultation process which will start in November, following a petition from 2000 local people. He will also encourage progress on various street maintenance issues.

Paul Burstow MP will be visiting Stonecot Hill at 10am on Friday 19th October 2007 to discuss parking arrangements with local traders and residents.

Mr Burstow will be spending approximately one hour in the area to see for himself how local parking can be improved and how he may be able to help local people’s campaign for a better deal on the Red Route from Transport for London.

If you would like to speak to Mr Burstow on the day, please contact Adrian Short on 020 8286 6696 to be added to the schedule.

In August, local people collected 2004 signatures on a petition to mayor Ken Livingstone and Transport for London asking for a full public consultation on Stonecot Hill’s parking. There has been no official response as yet.

Mr Burstow has been member of parliament for Sutton and Cheam since 1997.

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Photo copyright (c) Paul Burstow.

The Sutton Guardian have run an article about the Stonecot Hill parking petition on page four of today’s edition.

I do not and cannot speak for everyone that lives, works and visits Stonecot Hill. That is why the parking petition simply calls for a full consultation of everyone concerned about the issue. However, TfL’s spokesman entirely misunderstands many shopkeepers’ points of view and so I have written this response:

It is unsurprising that parking on Stonecot Hill’s Red Route (A24) is so difficult as Transport for London (TfL) seem to have no idea what local people’s concerns are nor what they are asking for.

TfL’s spokesman is entirely right in saying that extending parking times might damage local businesses. Some people might park for very long periods and prevent passing motorists from stopping to shop. That is why local shopkeepers are calling for more short-term parking and less long-term parking. Shopkeepers would also like to see some of the 20-minute loading bays turned into 20-minute parking bays to enable more people to stop, shop quickly and leave without risking a fine.

Over 2000 people signed the Stonecot Hill parking petition because their concerns and complaints about the way TfL are managing this area have been ignored. We look forward to TfL announcing a definite date for a public consultation to ensure that all local residents, businesses and shoppers are heard at last. We are still waiting.

The Stonecot Hill parking petition has closed with 2004 signatures. It was run for an extra week to bring the total above the 2000 point.

The petition calls on mayor Ken Livingstone and Transport for London to review parking arrangements on Stonecot Hill due to widespread dissatisfaction with the current regulations and the way they are enforced.

Local politicians are backing the petition. Liberal Democrat councillors Tony Brett Young and Abigail Lock visited Stonecot Hill recently to talk to shopkeepers and local residents about the issue. For the Conservatives, council candidate Ray Hilldrup has been helping to collect signatures locally.

The mayor’s office has not yet responded to a request on 1 August to make arrangements to receive a delegation to deliver the petition to City Hall.