Local residents and businesses received a communication from RB Greenwich just before Christmas informing them that "new parking controls will come into force on Monday 15th January"
"If you live or operate a business in a road where we are proposing to introduce the new controls you or any visitors wishing to park on-street during controlled times will need to have a valid permit or visitor voucher for the appropriate zone, otherwise you may receive a Penalty Charge Notice".
The first Charlton home game to be affected will be the game against Derby County on February 3rd.
It appears that parking for two hours for non permit holders will be allowed but this is of little use to match goers, particularly with the amount of extra minutes being played these days. There may also be a few free parking bays but we imagine these will be snapped up very quickly.
A map provided by RB Greenwich can be viewed here. We don't find it very clear but it seems that the roads in the Charlton Car Parking Zone (CPZ) which will additionally become subject to controls are in brown and those in pink are those in the new Charlton Station CPZ. Permits or vouchers will be needed on The Charlton Slopes (e.g Wyndcliffe, Sherington, Hopedale etc) and the roads the other side of Charlton Road (eg Furzefield, Hassendean). Near The Valley permits or vouchers will be needed on Charlton Lane, Wolfe Crescent, Coxmount Rd, Thorntree Road etc. All roads around the station (eg Delafield, Sundorne, Troughton, Barney Close) will require permits or vouchers as will Anchor & Hope Lane.
Please note that this is not a definitive or exhaustive list. We will endeavour to give full details when the signage is completed. "Works to update signing and lining in the affected roads will commence in early January"
Here is the map:
The controls will be in force Monday to Saturday 9.00am to 6.30pm. The extended hours (9am to 9pm) on match days is not yet scheduled to come into force:
"The introduction of match day parking in the Charlton area will be subject to the outcome of this separate consultation. If introduced, match day parking controls would be in addition to those detailed above and would only be in operation on days when football matches are taking place at The Valley."
CAST is hoping to arrange a meeting with CAFC staff in the near future to look at imaginative solutions to the problems which the controls will bring for those who rely on a car to get to The Valley.
If the controls will be particularly problematic for you individually or if you have any good ideas about how barriers to attending games might be overcome please let us know at secretary@castrust.org