Parking: During July Croydon council announced that all the existing parking meters would be switched off after the 13th July 2024. From then on to park in a district centre or in a small shopping parade you would have to obtain authority to park by using the RingGo App or for those that do not have a smartphone by phoning RingGo on 020 3046 0010. To use the App you have to identify where you are and for how long you want to park and pay by bank card. There was a small warning message about RingGo App contained in the notice. “Whilst the council does not charge for using RingGo, some default settings may mean that you pay a small charge to RingGo for reminders.” To avoid the reminder charge you have to change the settings in the RingGo App to turn off SMS notifications (which can result in 20p of charges). See below for more detail on how to do this.
RingGo Set Up
Make sure you are in the correct RingGo app (with two Gs i.e., RingGo) and set up your account with the correct registration number for your vehicle
Go to the my account option at the bottom of the app
Choose my notifications
Check that ALL notifications are off (the standard notifications settings will charge you 20p for the first free hours parking) Please beware of Scam Apps and sites! If you’re not sure, ask.
To Park
Choose the correct location – if you are parked with your vehicle it should pick this automatically
Choose the one-hour free parking or the length of parking time
Confirm your booking
For others who are unable to use the App or the phone you can obtain the authority to park at one of the PayPoint stores. In Coulsdon they are:
Best Save Food & Wine 214 Brighton Road, Coulsdon, CR5 2NF
Thirsty Work Food and Wine 175 Brighton Road, Coulsdon, CR5 2NH
Esso Coulsdon 189-191 Chipstead Valley Road Coulsdon, CR5 3HR
In Old Coulsdon they are:
Old Coulsdon Village Store and Morrisons Tudor Parade Old Coulsdon, CR5 1EB
Mary Convenience Store Taunton Lane Old Coulsdon, CR5 1SG
Hooks Food and Wine and Londis Lacy Green Parade Old Coulsdon, CR5 1EN
Charges: All parking in District centres and shopping parades will be the first hour free and the second period of time up to 2 hours paid for, with no return for 2 hours. However, the hours of charging have been extended by 2 hours and are now from 8.30am to 6.30pm.
Car Park Charges: Again, you will have to use the RingGo App or phone RingoGo to park in district centre car parks. The Council also intend to introduce an evening and overnight charge. ECRA have continued to object to this as it is not in the interest of the night time economy of Coulsdon or residents who need overnight off-street parking .We have also asked for a 15minute grace period before a parking ticket is issued.
ECRA have managed to get the council to increase the number of Residents Parking Bays in the CR CPZ in Downs, Fairdene and Reddown Roads. If you live in one of these roads and would like to be considered for a residents parking bay then email ECRA on .
You may remember that it was published here and elsewhere (including Inside Croydon) in February 2024 that the Council had put the Calat Centre site up for sale on the open market after 8 years of struggling by Residents’ Associations, Coulsdon businesses etc. and 2 years by Chris Philp MP’s attempts in discussions with CEX of NHS South West London and Ministers to get a Health Centre for Coulsdon, only to have disappointment following disappointment. The south of the Borough only has 7 medical facilities (reduced from 9) as opposed to the 49 in the rest of the Borough, acknowledged as only 7 in the presentation from the NHS. That publicity of the sale resulted in hastily issued press releases by the Council and Chris to says that agreement has been reached by the Council and the NHS to sell the site to the NHS, including trying to blame ‘local activists’ for delaying the process.
Residents’ Association representatives met with Mathew Kershaw, CEO of Croydon NHS on the 18th March 2024 to discuss the Coulsdon Medical centre on the Calat site. Mathew assured us that the NHS had now purchased the site, NHS England had now released the funding and they were pressing ahead with the design. We asked when we could share the news. He said it should be by the end of the month – March 2024.
We received the PowerPoint presentation that also includes the design this morning. Chris Philp MP seems to have it received yesterday.
The important issues are:
The disabled and Ambulance access from Woodcote Grove Road has been restored (but we expect some opposition from Croydon Highways).
Pedestrian access will also be from Chipstead Valley Road and they will discuss with the Dialysis centre access from Malcolm Road.
The building will be smaller with the ability to add floors when more funding becomes available.
The building will be for one GP Practice . What we don’t know as yet if this will be an existing Coulsdon GP or it will be a new GP Practice.
They hope to submit a planning application in April. It is important that we all support the application.
If Planning is agreed quickly they hope to complete by Summer 2025.
The PowerPoint presentation by NHS South West London can be viewed here.
At the November meeting the ECRA committee welcomed Cllr Scott Roche to provide us with some updates. Cllr Roche is the Cabinet member for Streets and Environment on Croydon council.
We raised the issues of parks maintenance, refuse disposal and the proposals for parking.
Cllr Roche has a lot of priorities for parks maintenance. We were particularly concerned about grass cutting in Marlpit Lane park, the maintenance of the putting green, the need to reinstate the junior football pitch and the failure to maintain Chaldon Way Gardens. We continue to seek a meeting with him and his officers to improve this situation.
At the January meeting we raised the problem of the water logged area outside Pistachio’s café and some cracking on the new perimeter path. We have asked for a meeting for the friends of Grange Park with the officers and contractors.
The consultation on parking proposals closed recently and the results are being evaluated. Cllr Roche expects that the changes will be implemented next year after further trials in some local areas. It appears that a mobile phone will be essential although some local shops may be designated as Pay Points. ECRA committee continue to press for 1 hour free and 1 hour paid parking.
We raised further concerns about the parking trial in January in Addiscombe, New Addington and Purley which reduces the one hour free parking to 30 minutes and the need to use an app or phone RingGo. We feel that this will lead to a reduction in people shopping locally.
Croydon council are reviewing the bin collection arrangements and the “failure rate” of bins and the timescale for replacement.
Cllr Roche did not have any further information on Red Clover Gardens/Lion Green Road.
We raised this again at the January meeting as they have now been empty for 10 months. We also asked who is responsible for snagging when people do move in.
Croydon Council is currently reviewing how parking is managed across the borough, with a number of options being considered including removal of all ticket machines and moving to payment by mobile app being one of their preferred options.
Public drop-in sessions where further information can be obtained, as well as provide you with a forum to provide feedback can be attended at our local Coulsdon Library on the following dates:
If you want to find out more about planning in Croydon and about the local plan, visit the Council’s Croydon Local Plan Review page Croydon Local Plan review page.
