The second stage of a massive, borough-wide parking consultation in Sutton which was due to close soon has been extended by a further two weeks.

Councillors and officers have decided to push back the original date of December 16 to the 30th of this month, a Sunday.

Sutton Council is consulting with people changes being made to people’s roads streets, as stats show the borough has the fourth highest level of car ownership in London.

MORE: You can find the second stage of the parking consultation here

Roads and streets affected by the current phase are predominantly in the north and centre of the borough, but also the Belmont and Sutton South wards.

A Facebook group has since been launched within the past two weeks, growing to more than 2,000 members in size, as a way to inform people about the new plans.

 

Cllr Manuel Abellan

Cllr Manuel Abellan, the council’s environment and neighbourhood committee chair, said: “With the fourth highest car ownership level in London, many residents have told Sutton Council that parking within the borough is now a major and growing concern. That's why we decided to make this one of our top priorities.

“The parking strategy will not fix every parking problem in Sutton as there is simply not enough kerb space for the number of parked cars but it will be more cohesive, evidence-driven and build into the wider plans for Sutton and focus particularly on areas known as traffic attractors and generators - St Helier Hospital, local schools, train stations and town centres.

“We have already received thousands of responses from local residents but I hope that this extension will give more residents the opportunity to send us their views by using Sutton Council's website.”

The Facebook group, Controlled Parking Residents Form – London Borough of Sutton, was launched by resident Sandra Ackland on December 8.

Since then, a broad and diverse range of opinions have been put forward by its members.

Some welcome the plans, while others disagree with how the initiative is being rolled out and believe there should be individual solutions for specific roads and streets.

A further set have been urged to send letters to the council’s interim boss Mary Morrissey, urging her to “cease and desist” from the current plans.

It is insisted not all the borough’s residents have “not been meaningfully consulted” in a way that “explains the full impact” of parking regulations on people in Sutton.

Sutton’s MPs Paul Scully and Tom Brake have also weighed in.

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Mr Scully says he is concerned about how the scheme is being rolled out “in terms of the lack of consultation”, as well as whether the number of permits and their prices will change.

He added that he understands the overall aim is to cut overall emissions but is “sceptical” a controlled parking zone (CPZ) would help to achieve this.

Mr Brake, meanwhile, thinks parking issues in Sutton “cannot be addressed effectively by tackling individual streets” because this means “moving the problem elsewhere”.

He understands there has been “major concern” for several years regarding parking but stressed “no official decisions have been made the consultation is still ongoing”.