Personally I think parking is a MAJOR issue in Forest Hill and particularly Dartmouth Road. It's not very easy to park up and get back to the car in the time allotted for fear of a penalty fine. Yes the Sainsburys car park is free for two hours but by the time you've done your shop, you only have an hour left and that's not enough time to walk along DR and frequent all the lovely shops - BUNKA, B CARDS, DOOPOO, Stag & Bow plus some of the Pop Up shops when they're on. Plus I'm not even factoring in the wish to sometimes stop for a coffee and cake in The Montage and a browse the gallery.

Yes I can walk in but more often than not I tie in a visit to the town centre with a weekly trip to Sainsburys and as such I need my car as I can't lug my shopping half a mile home. Yes I could do my supermarket shop, take the car home and walk back in but then I've kind of lost the will to do so; not to mention the time lost in a busy working life (I can't be the only one to feel like this)!

I've often have to cut short my visit into FH because of the parking situation - it's SUCH A SHAME! East Dulwich simply does not have the same problem; yes the high street is busy but you can generally find a spot on one of the side roads. The council seem to want to make it as difficult as possible for car users for reasons that I'm at a loss to understand. Maybe because they wish to promote public transport, help the environment? But if more business opened up then surely that's more revenue in business rates not to mention potential new investment into the area. Clearly walking is healthier and more environmentally friendly but in reality people can't or won't because they're a) lazy (me included sometimes!) b) short on time - driving is quicker and c) practicality (you have kids or heavy shopping).

If the car parks and indeed the roads around DR where free/unrestricted (where possible) on Saturdays between the hours of say 11am and 4pm I am sure the shopkeepers of DR and FH in general would see a difference to footfall. It can't be a co-incidence that ED is thriving and has no parking restrictions (I appreciate that the residents of ED may have a little more disposable income if houses prices are anything to go by though!).