Parking Information for Southwark Council tenants
Tenants’ handbook www.southwark.gov.uk
Southwark Council tenants’ handbook 2
Parking Contents
Page
01 Our estate parking service
3
02 Abandoned vehicles
4
03 Parking conditions
7
04 Parking permits
9
06 Disabled parking
12
07 More information
13
Parking
01 Our estate parking service We provide an estate parking service. Many of the estates in Southwark were built before most people had cars, so there is often no space for cars to be parked. We understand that vehicles create environmental, health and safety problems on many housing estates and we are committed to making Southwark a greener and cleaner place. Our estate parking service includes the following: • A parking enforcement scheme in operation on all Southwark housing estates • A permit service for all eligible residents on estates where tenant representatives have agreed to an estate permit scheme (see section 4 below) • An enforcement team who work on our estates and check that only cars with valid permits are parked in parking spaces and that parked cars are not causing a nuisance or a health and safety hazard or blocking access (for example, to properties) • Displaying clear signs and road markings so that residents know where they can, and cannot, park • Special permits for carers who may not be residents but care for a resident • Parking bays for people with disabilities, wherever possible • An abandoned vehicles pick-up scheme • Advice for residents who want to apply for a permit or who have questions about parking The rules about parking on housing estates are different from the rules about parking on public roads. However, you must still keep to the speed limit and drive safely.
3
Southwark Council tenants’ handbook 4
Where we have developed permit parking schemes on estates after consulting tenant representatives, areas where tenants cannot park are marked with yellow lines and criss-crossed lines. If you want to park on your estate, and a permit scheme is in place you must apply to us for a permit. There are more details below about how you can get a permit. When we give out permits we give priority to residents, but if there is enough space on an estate, we will consider applications for carers’ permits (see below for more information). Not all housing estates have a permit parking scheme. If you want to find out if there is one for your estate, contact your area housing office (for contact details see the useful information booklet of your tenants’ handbook).
Parking
02 Abandoned vehicles To keep our estates clean and safe, we are offering a free scheme to residents, where we pick up their unwanted cars. We want residents to take advantage of this scheme so that there are fewer abandoned vehicles and so other residents can use the parking spaces. If you want to use this free service, please call Freephone 020 7525 2222 to get a voluntary surrender form (you will need to fill this in if you want us to pick up your car) or visit our website at www.southwark.gov.uk for more information.
5
Southwark Council tenants’ handbook 6
03 Parking conditions To avoid us taking action against you or removing your vehicle, please keep to the following rules. • You must only park in: • a garage or parking space that you rent from us; • a designated parking area; or • areas on the estate where you have a permit to park. • You must clearly display a current tax disc at all times. • Your car must have a valid MOT certificate and be roadworthy. • Your car must: • not be more than two metres (six foot and six inches) high; • not be more than 1.83 metres (six foot) wide; • not be more than 4.8 metres (16 foot) long; and • weigh no more than 7.5 tonnes. • Your car’s measurements can only go over these limits if you do not use it for business reasons or if we have given our permission in writing. • You must not leave your car outside a garage if it prevents people from using the garage. • Your car must not have any serious damage unless you have told us about it and we have agreed that it is not dangerous. • You must not park anywhere that stops other residents from getting to their homes or prevents them from using their parking space or other facilities such as bin areas. • You must not park anywhere that prevents police cars, fire engines and ambulances from getting to an emergency. • You must not do anything that puts at risk the health and safety of residents.
As long as you are not causing a health and safety risk, we will not normally take action against you if:
Parking
Exceptions
a you have a valid Blue Badge clearly displayed on your car’s dashboard; b you have a valid Southwark Housing parking permit clearly displayed on your car’s windscreen; c you are registered as an undertaker and are on our estates on business; d you are in an ambulance, police car or fire engine; or e your car is taken without your permission (for example, it is stolen).
7
Southwark Council tenants’ handbook
04 Parking permits We provide different types of parking permits. Estate parking permits are for residents who voted to join a controlled parking scheme. If you apply for a permit, it will be valid until your car’s MOT runs out. When you apply for a permit you must give us your car’s legal documents along with your insurance, driving licence and tenancy agreement. If you use a company vehicle, you must give us a letter from your employer. If you do not, it may take us longer to deal with your application. You can renew your permit up to 21 days before the expiry date. We recommend you renew early in case there are any problems with your renewal. Who can apply for a resident’s estate parking permit? You can apply for a resident’s estate parking permit if you are a tenant or if you live permanently with a tenant or a leaseholder on a housing estate that Southwark Council manage. We do not charge you for a permit if you are a resident. You will have to pay a £10 charge if: • you lose your permit and ask us to replace it; or • you do not send us your current permit when you apply to have your permit renewed.
8
If you are applying for a resident’s estate parking permit you must provide: • a filled-in resident’s estate parking permit application form (you can download this form from our website at www.southwark.gov.uk/parking and print it off or pick it up from your local area housing office or one stop shop); • proof of your address, for example, a rent book with your name on it, a council tax statement or a water, gas or electricity bill; • proof that you have insurance for your vehicle (such as your certificate of motor insurance); • a current provisional licence or full driving licence showing your current address; • a valid MOT certificate; • a vehicle registration document (V5) – this document must be registered at your address; and • if you have a company car and do not have the vehicle registration document, a letter from your employer confirming the vehicle registration number.
Parking
First-time applications
Please take your documents to your local one stop shop or to your area housing office if there is no one stop shop in your area. Renewing your existing permit Your permit is usually valid for 12 months if your vehicle is less than three years old, otherwise it is valid for the length of your vehicle’s current MOT certificate. The expiry date is shown on the permit.
9
Southwark Council tenants’ handbook
You can renew your permit by filling in a resident’s estate parking permit application form. These are available from your local one stop shop or area housing office or by visiting www.southwark.gov.uk/parking. Please take your filled-in documents to your area housing office or one stop shop. Don’t forget to take your existing permit with you, otherwise we will charge a £10 fee. Carers’ permits You can apply for a carer’s permit if you are a resident on our estates and receive regular support from a carer or if you care for a resident on one of our estates. The permit costs £34.50 a year and you must display it in your vehicle. If you would like to apply for a carer’s permit, you must provide: • medical evidence of the care that you need or that you provide; • your vehicle’s documents; and • the application form. Visitors’ permits If you would like your visitors to be able to park on your estate, you can buy a visitor’s permit for them from one of our one stop shops or your local area housing office. It costs £15 for a book of 10 permits and £75 for a book of 60.
10
• You cannot give your resident’s estate permit to anyone else. • If you lose your permit you can ask for a new permit. This costs £10. • If there is a permit parking scheme on your estate you are guaranteed one resident permit for your household. In some situations we may let you have a second permit, but we will charge £75. • It takes seven working days to process a permit application but we will try our best to process your application more quickly if you are elderly or have a disability.
Parking
More information about permits and charges
Whether you are a resident or a visitor, you must display a valid permit in the windscreen of your vehicle so that our enforcement contractor can see that the information is correct. The details of the estate on which the permit is valid must be visible. If you make a mistake when you are filling in your visitor’s permit, you must fill in a new box. If you change a permit, we will take action against you. You must tell visitors and friends what will happen if they park their vehicles in a way that breaks our parking conditions. We review the charges for permits each year.
11
Southwark Council tenants’ handbook 12
05 Parking for residents with disabilities
Wherever possible, we try to provide parking for residents with disabilities. We cannot guarantee parking spaces for residents with disabilities unless they show us medical proof that they need a parking space reserved for them. If you have visitors who have disabilities and valid Blue Badges, they must display the badge on the car’s dashboard and keep to the time limits listed on it. Your visitors should be considerate and not use the bays all day so residents with disabilities can use the spaces too.
estate parking schemes and how to contact us
Parking
06 More information about our
Estate parking schemes run from 7am to 11pm, seven days a week, with an emergency parking enforcement service during the public holidays. It may run 24 hours a day in extreme circumstances. To find out more about the parking scheme on your estate: • contact your area housing office for more details; • visit our website at www.southwark.gov.uk/parking; or • phone 020 7525 2600. There are garages and parking spaces for rent in a number of estates and areas of Southwark. If you would like to rent a garage or parking space, please contact your area office, email garages@southwark.gov.uk or phone us on 020 7525 2600.
13
Southwark Council tenants’ handbook
14
Notes
Parking
Notes
15
Updated: April 2010