Visitor permits allow residents' visitors to park in 'Resident Permit Holders Only' parking bays.
They are available at £2.80 per day and at £1.70 for half a day (up to five hours) or £8 per week. The weekly permits must be used on the same vehicle for a consecutive seven day period. When purchasing a visitor permit you will need to be on the electoral register. You will need to supply proof of residency in the form of your council tax book or your most recent council tax bill or be included on the electoral register.
Each visitor permit entitles one visitor to park for the duration of time purchased within the operating hours of the zone. These permits are sold in scratch card form and can be purchased in advance for use as and when necessary. All you need to do is scratch off the date you wish to start the permit and clearly display in the vehicle. Residents can purchase as many single day permits as they wish, however there is a limit of 12 per year for the weekly permits.
How to access the service
Permit application forms are available from The Parking Shop and the Council’s Access point service at Laurence House Catford SE6.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Lewisham charge for visitor permits?
If we gave unlimited numbers of visitors' permits to residents at no or very low cost there would be a temptation for some people to sell permits on to commuters/workers etc, thus undermining the purpose of the zone. This sounds cynical on the part of the Council, but it has in fact been the experience of other Councils.
The cost of visitor permits is carefully balanced to discourage fraud whilst keeping the cost affordable. Consultation on parking controls showed the cost of visitor permits to be one of the main areas of concern among residents. To address this, the Council has introduced a half-day visitor permit in addition to the existing all-day Visitor permit. Half-day permits cost £1.70 and allow parking for up to five hours of the operating hours of the zone.
Do I have to buy visitors' permits?
You will need a visitor permit if your visitor wishes to park in a residents' bay in the zone during zone operating times (Monday to Saturday, excluding bank holidays). A permit is not necessary outside of the zone operating times. If you do not wish to buy a visitors permit your visitor will need to park in one of the following places:
- on your driveway or your land
- outside the operating times of the zone when parking is free and unrestricted
- in a pay and display space.