Greenwich Council to introduce parking permits on St Margarets Grove

Greenwich Council is set to introduce parking permits on St Margarets Grove in Woolwich as part of its Sustainable Streets programme. The new restrictions will operate from 8:30am to 6:30pm, seven days a week, and will also include pay by phone areas and disabled bays. The council stated the proposal is an effort to balance the views of residents and temple representatives.

Temple Concerns Over Community Impact

Leaders at the Shree Kutch Satsang Swaminarayan Temple have expressed significant concerns that the removal of free parking will create barriers for worshippers and volunteers. The temple, which relies on unpaid community service known as 'seva' for its operations, fears a reduction in services and attendance, particularly among the elderly and families with young children. The temple submitted a petition with over 800 signatures and hundreds of objections during the public consultation period. Temple representative Dinesh Hirani stated, "It's just very unnecessary and we are most worried about the future of the seva that we’ll get in this temple which is probably going to diminish, if I’m being honest."

Priya Bhanderi, a parent whose neurodivergent son attends the temple's nursery, described the plans as problematic. She said travelling on public transport with her son would not be a feasible option, adding, "We feel like we don’t have a voice, like we’ve not been heard." The temple, which serves as the largest Hindu temple in South East London, attracts worshippers from a wide area, and leaders fear the new restrictions will deter those who travel further afield.

Residents Welcome Parking Changes

In contrast to the temple's concerns, many residents living on St Margarets Grove have welcomed the introduction of parking permits. Martin Roberts, a resident of 26 years, stated that parking had become difficult due to increased temple size and commuter parking. He said, "We want the parking permits to be here because we can no longer park on our road. There’s days when we literally can’t park a car on this road."

Residents also complained that large events at the temple frequently cause gridlock on the road. Suggestions from the temple to reduce permitting hours to weekdays between 11am and 3pm to target commuter parking were not adopted by the council. Temple treasurer Parbat Rudha described the removal of free parking as a "slap in the face" after 40 years of working with the council, though he stated the temple was not opposing the scheme itself but seeking fairer hours.

Next Steps

The council has stated that the proposal is an effort to balance the views of residents and temple representatives. The exact timeline for the implementation of the parking permits has not yet been specified.