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Welcome to our UK travel forum where you can get advice on everything from holidays to exotic destinations, to tips on London travel.

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Original poster

unregulated street parking in London?

37 replies

afussyphase · 22/09/2011 12:28

We need to leave the car somewhere. It's a very cheap car and I'm not worried about it being stolen, really. is there anywhere in London, obviously we know it won't be central, where street parking is unregulated and I could leave it for a few weeks? thanks!

OP posts:

mummymeister · 22/09/2011 13:26

If you find it let me know! if you are leaving it for a couple of weeks then in London you risk the council or the utilities wanting to do works on that bit of road who will just tow your car away. leave it outside London and travel in. if you do park it in London then you are liable for the congestion charge every day that it is there. My advice - bad plan, do something else!

Original poster

afussyphase · 22/09/2011 15:56

thanks. We weren't planning to leave it so centrally that it'd be in the congestion zone. I've now heard that parts of Wandsworth have unregulated street parking. I hadn't really thought about the council wanting to do road works; where we live now that hasn't happened in 4 years... maybe I should rethink.

OP posts:

mummymeister · 22/09/2011 15:58

I think you need to check the congestion zone. i have family in Wandsworth and they are in it. to be honest if you want peace of mind then why not look at one of the long stay options or go way out of London. Does your car insurance cover you to do this?

CaptainNancy · 22/09/2011 16:10

May we ask why you need to do this?

Original poster

afussyphase · 22/09/2011 17:21

Yes .. we need to do this because we're moving into a temporary flat while we wait to exchange, complete, get minor works done, and move into a house we've been trying to buy for months! Needless to say, this was not the original plan. The flat is in Paddington. I don't need or want the car there, nor do I want to pay for it to be there! I don't really want to leave it here in Bristol (also on-street but we know neighbours here) because I want to drive our stuff to London.

OP posts:

therugratref · 22/09/2011 17:25

Wandsworth is not in the congestion zone, but there is very little unregulated parking in the borough.

crystalglasses · 22/09/2011 17:28

I wouldn't be at all happy if you left your car outside my house and I would report it as abandonned if it was there for any length of time. I know the street isn't mine but it would seriously inconvenience me to have to find another parking spot for my car.

AnyoneButLulu · 22/09/2011 17:36

There's damn all in Lambeth, that's for certain. Obviously most places near tube stations will be regulated in the week to stop commuters driving in from the Home Counties and taking the tube for the last bit.
Do you not have any friends or colleagues who could help?

littleducks · 22/09/2011 17:44

There are some places in outer London, maybe zones 4-6 but I agree that you will risk seriously irritating local residents. Maybe you could move it weekly or something at least?

CaptainNancy · 22/09/2011 19:40

Is it not worth putting into longterm cheapish parking somewhere?
Otherwise I wouod say places outside zones 1-4...

bibbitybobbityhat · 22/09/2011 19:42

SE21 and SE22 are unregulated.

Original poster

afussyphase · 22/09/2011 19:46

Thanks. Where we live now is also really tight for parking but I doubt someone would report a car as abandoned unless it was more than a few weeks, but I agree I don't want to seriously annoy residents. DH has a colleague who lives in Walthamstow where she says it's unregulated, so I'll see if she's willing to check on it every now and then. And we can go and move it every couple of weeks... guess I could put my mobile number in the dashboard so if anyone was really inconvenienced they could call? hmm.

OP posts:

Sam100 · 22/09/2011 19:55

Various parts of Ealing not too far from the tube used to be unregulated - there was a road near Ealing Common where people parked for the tube - but you would either need to get there v early in the morning or v late at night. There were no houses as in the middle of the Common so you would not be outside anyone's house and would only piss off the person that normally parked there! And I would caveat that with - not lived there for 8+ years so probably all changed! But you can check the parking zones on the Council website. There are a lot of parks in Ealing where you could park nearby and not be outside someone's house.

Why don't you look at some of the cheaper off airport parking at heathrow? Or even some of the "park on my drive" websites - at least you would know the car is safe then.

Gigondas · 22/09/2011 20:17

A few weeks? Seriouslymad woman two doors downsome people would ring council after a few days. Have you no friends who live in London that you could leave it near to keep an eye on it -my dad leaves his car near us when away.

Gigondas · 22/09/2011 20:18

Sorry read your post - the walthamstow idea sounds and would ask colleague to check rather than leave mobile which could be invite to someone that car not being checked.

malovitt · 22/09/2011 20:25

I live in an area of Camden which has residents parking for 2 hrs per day Mon - Fri, so not too far from Paddington.
I could probably get you some visitors permits for a few weeks of your stay if you like?

ChristinedePizan · 22/09/2011 20:31

Cricklewood is unregulated. I left my car then when I was selling it (had already bought a new one), wasn't outside someone's house and never had any problems. It's a bit of a walk to the bus then tube but easy to park. PM me if you want the actual streets :)

crystalglasses - if a car is taxed, then anyone can leave it outside your house for however long they like, however much it inconveniences you. You can't get a car towed for being parked in an annoying place.

crystalglasses · 22/09/2011 21:13

Yes I know ChristinedPizan, that's why I said I know the street isn't mine.

takeonboard · 22/09/2011 21:19

there nothing in Kensignton and Chelsea or Westminster. I think you have to go so far out of London to find unreg parking that you may as well come to London on the train.
I have a friend in Cricklewood and last time I went to her house on a weekday she gave me a Camden visitors parking pass - one of those scratch card things, maybe only certain parts of crickled have unreg parking?

Original poster

afussyphase · 22/09/2011 22:47

oh, malovitt that is so sweet of you! but I don't want to trouble you, we're coming really soon and also we don't know for how long so it would be too much bother. but thanks!! Christine I will PM you for the roads in Cricklewood, that's much closer than Walthamstow...

OP posts:

anonandlikeit · 22/09/2011 22:52

SE12 has a fair bit of unregulated parking in residential streets.
If u dont mind going a bit further out Dagenham has unregulated parking near the stations (district line)
Also Hounslow if you prefer west london.

ronx · 22/09/2011 23:03

OP - you need to be careful when doing this.

I told the police when someone left their car outside my house for two weeks. I had no idea whether the vehicle had been stolen and/or abandoned - and it was taking up a valuable parking space.

hester · 22/09/2011 23:07

You can leave it in my front drive if you want - but I live in Zone 6

Gigondas · 23/09/2011 08:25

Agree with ronx- it's not a question of not being allowed to park but more that it's fairly unusual to leave an unknown car for any length of time so people may well hunk it's stolen.

ChristinedePizan · 23/09/2011 09:03

Even if someone calls the police, if the car isn't reported as lost/stolen/abandoned, then they won't do anything.

I don't know why people keep mentioning it :confused:

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