Permit parking on Melbourne Grove, Chesterfield Grove and Colwell Road was approved on 28 October, despite 121 of 153 replies objecting. Live early 2027.
Updated 2 November: the leader of the council approved the zone on 28 October, with the amendments set out in the report. The decision was published on 29 October. Councillors can call it in until 5 November; if nobody does, it takes effect on 6 November. The council will also consult Ashbourne Grove, Bassano Street, Blackwater Street, Lytcott Grove and Playfield Crescent again on whether they want to join.
Three East Dulwich streets will get permit parking from early 2027, even though four in five people who replied to the formal consultation objected.
Southwark Council’s leader has approved a new controlled parking zone, called MG, covering:
- the southern part of Melbourne Grove
- Chesterfield Grove
- Colwell Road
Officers recommended it in a report published on 20 October. The leader agreed every recommendation on 28 October, according to the council’s decision record.
What the zone would mean
Parking would be controlled from 1pm to 3pm, Monday to Friday. Outside those two hours the streets stay unrestricted. The report sets out:
- Permit bays on all three roads for residents, businesses and visitors with a valid permit.
- Shared-use bays on Chesterfield Grove: anyone can pay £5.70 an hour, or £9.20 for a diesel, for up to two hours.
- Stop and shop bays on all three roads: the first 30 minutes are free, then paid parking up to two hours.
- New blue badge bays on Chesterfield Grove and Colwell Road, usable at any time.
- Double yellow lines at junctions, across dropped kerbs and between bays.
A free short-stay bay on Chesterfield Grove, 16 metres long, would go. Homes at No. 48 and Nos. 50 to 94 (even numbers) Melbourne Grove would move out of the existing East Dulwich zone, ED, and into the new one.
Who objected, and where
The formal consultation ran from 11 June to 2 July 2026. The council received 159 responses and discarded six as duplicates, leaving 153:
- 121 (79%) objected in full or in part
- 28 (18%) supported the plan in full or in part
- 4 (3%) were neutral
Most of the opposition came from outside the zone. Of the 82 replies from outside it, 75 (92%) objected. Of the 70 from inside it, 45 (64%) objected and 22 (31%) were in favour.
The split by road matters, because the zone is going ahead on two streets that said no. On Melbourne Grove, 15 of 26 replies (57%) supported it. On Colwell Road, 22 of 25 (88%) objected, and on Chesterfield Grove, 15 of 19 (79%) did.
That is a reversal. In the informal consultation in spring 2025, most respondents on Chesterfield Grove (58%) and Colwell Road (51%) wanted parking controls, the report says.
The five most common reasons for objecting were:
| Reason | Responses |
|---|---|
| Harm to Lordship Lane businesses and footfall | 68 |
| Cost of permits and charges | 52 |
| Parking pushed onto surrounding streets | 46 |
| Safety, children, loading and access | 45 |
| No parking problem, so the zone is unnecessary | 40 |
Some people gave more than one reason.
Why officers say it should go ahead
The report rests its case on a parking survey from October 2023. It found the three streets full for most of the day, not just at peak times:
- Colwell Road: more than 100% occupied
- Melbourne Grove: 91% to 100%
- Chesterfield Grove: 81% to 90%
Officers say the free 30-minute bays answer the worry about Lordship Lane trade. They also point to the council’s Streets for People strategy, and to the 2021 census finding that 61% of Southwark households have no car.
The report also notes a sudden jump in responses near the end. On 30 June the council had 85. Overnight, another 45 arrived. Around the same time, officers learned that a leaflet urging people to respond was circulating locally. The report records this but does not say the responses were discounted.
What happens to the streets next door
The earlier, larger version of the scheme also covered Ashbourne Grove, Bassano Street, Blackwater Street, Lytcott Grove and Playfield Crescent. Those roads were dropped after most of their residents objected in 2025. Playfield Crescent alone sent 28 objections to the formal consultation.
The council accepts that some parking will move onto them. Now the leader has approved the zone, officers will run a fresh informal consultation on those five roads, asking whether they now want to join.
When it would start
With the zone approved, the report’s timetable is:
- November 2026: the traffic order is advertised and residents are told of the decision
- November to December 2026: signs and road markings go in
- January to February 2027: the zone goes live
The council estimates the cost of this batch of work at £70,000, from its parking design budget. Officers recommend making the order without a public inquiry.
What it means for you
- If you live on the three streets, you will need a resident permit to park between 1pm and 3pm on weekdays from early 2027. Visitors and tradespeople will need visitor permits in those hours.
- If you live on Ashbourne Grove, Bassano Street, Blackwater Street, Lytcott Grove or Playfield Crescent, expect to be asked again whether you want to join the zone.
- If you shop on Lordship Lane, the stop and shop bays give you 30 minutes free in the controlled hours.
- If you objected, the decision instructs officers to write to everyone who made a representation.
Councillors can call the decision in until 5 November. If nobody does, it takes effect on 6 November, and we will report the traffic order notice when it is advertised. Permit prices and how zones work across the area are on our guide to parking in Dulwich.
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