Sustainable Streets programme

We want to reduce the number of car journeys in Lewisham and encourage more people to walk, cycle or use public transport. This will help to reduce air pollution, traffic and congestion, improve road safety and lower carbon emissions, helping tackle the Climate Emergency and creating a nicer environment for local people.

To achieve this, we want to create streets that encourage people to travel more sustainably, discourage unnecessary car journeys and make better use of road space and pavements.

With unrestricted parking on 75% of roads in the borough, improving parking management is vital for reducing the number of unnecessary car journeys and tackling traffic, congestion, and air pollution. Introducing parking permit schemes helps discourage unnecessary car journeys and ensures parking is prioritised for local residents and businesses.

Alongside the introduction of parking permit schemes, our Sustainable Streets programme proposes a series of improvements to local streets and investment in sustainable transport measures, including more street trees, safer crossing points, electric vehicle charging points, secure cycle storage and car club bays.

Parking permit schemes aim to ensure parking is prioritised for local residents and businesses and reduce unnecessary car journeys into and around the borough.

Parking pressures can vary road to road. While some people may find it easy to park on their street, many residents have difficulties parking near their home, particularly on roads close to train stations, event destinations or high streets. Parking permit schemes help to ensure residents can park near to their home.

With a parking permit scheme in place, commuters and visitors will be more likely to travel to the area by walking, cycling or using public transport, helping reduce traffic and pollution and improving road safety.

The introduction of parking permit schemes also provides the space and funding needed to invest in sustainable transport measures and improvements to local streets.

No - the introduction of parking permit schemes will generate the funding needed to invest in sustainable transport measures and creates the space required to make these improvements to local streets.

Money from the parking permit schemes proposed will fund the new sustainable transport measures and improvements to local streets, including more street trees and planting, secure cycle storage hubs, electric vehicle charging points, car club bays and safer crossing points.

All funds raised from parking restrictions are ring-fenced for local transport and highways improvements, including active travel initiatives and discounts on travel, such as Freedom Passes for older and disabled residents who travel via public transport.

On average, the cost of an annual residential parking permit is around £10 a month.

The cost of a parking permit is calculated based on the emissions of a vehicle. You can check how much a parking permit would cost for your vehicle using our online permit calculator tool.

In areas where new parking permit schemes are introduced, residents and businesses will receive a 15% discount on the cost of their annual permit for the first year. With this discount, resident parking permits will cost £8-9 a month on average.

Blue Badge holders in areas with a parking permit scheme can apply for a free annual resident permit.

Carers of residents in areas with a parking permit scheme can also apply for a free carers permit, allowing them to visit free of charge for up to four hours.

Parking pressures can vary road to road. While some people may find it easy to park on their street, many residents have difficulties parking near their home, particularly on roads close to train stations, event destinations or high streets. Parking permit schemes help to ensure residents can park near to their home.

In order to avoid displacing non-residential parking onto nearby roads that do not currently experience significant parking pressures, we normally take an area-wide approach when introducing new parking permit schemes. This approach has been successfully implemented in other areas across the borough and can help to reduce parking pressures on certain roads without negatively impacting other residents.

Introducing new sustainable transport measures also requires reallocating road space currently used for car parking. The introduction of parking permit schemes alongside these sustainable transport measures will ensure that the remaining road space available for car parking is prioritised for local residents and businesses.

Parking permit schemes also encourage commuters and visitors to travel to the area by walking, cycling or using public transport, helping reduce traffic and pollution and improving road safety across the whole area.

While we want to reduce the number of car journeys in Lewisham, we know some people still need to drive, such as people with mobility impairments or people who need to drive for work.

Parking permit schemes still enable residents to own a car and park near their house, while encouraging those who can, to make more journeys on foot, by bike or on public transport.

Blue Badge holders in areas with a parking permit scheme are able to apply for a free annual permit. We are also proposing to install more disabled bays in locations where they have been requested by residents, making it easier for people with mobility issues to park near their home.

The proposals also include the installation of more car club bays, helping people who need to make occasional journeys by car, but may not own a vehicle.

Yes - anyone can still drive to a home or business in areas with a parking permit scheme. If someone is visiting an area outside the hours of permit parking operation, they can park anywhere free of charge.

If they are visiting during the hours permit parking is in operation, they will need to park in one of the dedicated pay-and-display zones – located on every street – or use a visitors permit provided by a resident within the area. Visitor permits are for one time use and allow visitors to park in permit bays nearby to the home they’re visiting.

Residents with a parking permit receive ten one-hour visitor permits for free and additional visitor permits can be purchased as needed, starting from £1.80 per hour.

Ten one-hour visitor passes will also be provided free of charge to any resident who is over 60 in receipt of Council Tax support and does not have another parking permit.

Pay-and-display bays or visitor permits can be used by tradespeople when needed.

A book of 10 one-hour visitor permits is included in the cost of an annual residential parking permit. The current cost of additional visitor permits is as follows:

• book of 10 one-hour permits: £18 (£1.80 per hour)
• half-day permit (up to five hours): £4.50
• day permit: £7.00
• week permit: £30.00

Carers of residents in areas with a parking permit scheme can also apply for a free carers permit, allowing them to visit free of charge for up to four hours.

Any resident aged over 60 who is in receipt of Council Tax support will also be provided with a free book of 10 one-hour visitor permits.

Our Sustainable Streets programme aims to make it easier for people to walk, cycle or use public transport to get to local shops and high streets, helping support local businesses.

The introduction of new parking permit schemes and short-stay parking bays will encourage greater turnover of parking near busy shopping locations, making it easier for other residents who need to drive to visit local shops and high streets.

We would encourage local business owners to fill out the consultation survey so that we can hear their views and ensure our Sustainable Streets programme meets their needs. We are also carrying out face-to-face consultation with local businesses in the consultation area to ensure they have the opportunity to share their views.

We want to have a consistent approach across Lewisham and most parking permit schemes in the borough operate 9am-5pm.

As part of the consultation, we will be asking residents what days of the week they think permit parking would be most useful. 

We will use the results of the consultation, along with parking monitoring surveys, to identify times and days for the proposed parking permit scheme.

We have plans to consult the whole borough in phases. We are starting in areas where our data shows streets are often congested with parked cars and will aim to consult the whole borough as quickly as possible.

As part of the planning obligations of car-free developments, residents are not permitted to hold or apply for a parking permit. It is recognised that for car-free developments outside of existing CPZs, these planning obligations have not been enforced previously and some residents may own a vehicle despite the terms of their residence.

To assist with the transition period, residents of car-free developments in areas where new parking permit schemes are being introduced will be able to purchase a parking permit for up to 18 months.

As well as introducing parking controls to improving parking management and reduce traffic and congestion, the measures being introduced as part of the Sustainable Streets programme also include more cycle hangars, car club bays, new street trees, safer junctions and electric vehicle charging points. These measures will help enable people to make more journeys by walking and cycling and support a shift away from higher polluting modes of transport.

The provision of car clubs near car-free developments will also support residents who may need to make some journeys by car, without owning a vehicle personally.