Cup Half Full for Zone DD Residents

CPZ headache for family without application forms

The introduction of a new CPZ (Controlled Parking Zone DD) in South Acton covering Avenue Road, Acton Lane, Leythe Road and Meon Road amongst others has improved parking for some.

However, one household was left very inconvenienced this week when failings or mistakes by Ealing Council meant that they were taken by surprise by the installation of the scheme, with no application forms,  no parking permit and a very long queue at Ealing Council Parking Services.

We spoke to Stephanie Radet who had alerted us to the situation with a post on the discussion Forum. She told us: “I live in Acton Lane. I had received notification a year to eighteen months ago that the new CPZ was going to be discussed by a committee. Since then, we have heard nothing.”

Stephanie and her husband were alarmed to see signs going up on Monday after white lines were painted on the streets in the previous weeks. They immediately called Ealing Council who told them application forms for permits and vouchers had been delivered by hand. “The people who live upstairs say they didn’t receive anything from the Council, either.”

Stephanie says she believes they were not the only household who didn’t receive application forms or notification of the zone as there are many cars parked in the area without permits. A visit to the Ealing Council website revealed no helpful information. Stephanie says: “As far as the site is concerned, Zone DD doesn’t exist. Parking tickets have appeared on windscreens today. When we originally called the Council, they told us that if tickets are issued we will have to appeal. But they couldn’t tell us when the zone will be enforced. In the mean time, our kind neighbours have given us vouchers.”

Although the family expects their situation to be sorted out soon, it caused them considerable inconvenience and worry. “My husband went to Ealing Council to see if he could get a permit over the counter. When he got there, he was told he would have to wait three hours to get his permit there and then. As he had a sick child with him, this wasn’t possible. We are now waiting for the permit to come in the post which should take four days from the day the Council receive our application. We just hope we don’t receive any parking tickets in the mean time.”

On a trip to Zone DD on Saturday morning we spotted several parking tickets.

Comments about the DD zone were made at the recent Acton Area Committee meeting. A resident remarked that the DD zone was very small in comparison to others. This could mean that those in the zone find themselves inconvenienced by not being able to park elsewhere in Acton, or without anywhere to park legally at times when all the Residents’ spaces are full up.

We have asked councillors and Ealing Council to comment on this situation.