Where you can park
You must check the controlled hours of the bay in which you intend to park.
We ask you to show consideration towards other road users when parking your vehicle, this includes the disabled and pedestrians.
Parking within the bay markings ensures that your vehicle is not causing danger, obstruction or congestion. Vehicles not parked correctly may be liable for a Penalty Charge Notice.
Parking bays
You can park in the following bays:
residents' parking bay, if you display a valid resident, teacher or motorcycle permit or have a visitor permit
- shared use bay, for example, pay and display bay and resident bay if you display a valid resident, teacher, motorcycle or visitor permit or pay and display ticket
disabled person's parking bay, if you hold and display a blue badge. There are disabled person's parking bays throughout the borough. You can also park in residents' and pay and display bays, providing you display your badge
- business bay, if you display a valid business permit.
- doctors' bay, if you display a valid doctors' permit. The doctors' permit has to show the bay number assigned to the surgery
loading and unloading bays, including those on red routes. There is a maximum stay of 20 minutes, however constant activity must be seen. If no activity is seen for five minutes then a penalty charge notice may be issued
- pay and display bay, if you have paid the correct amount and clearly displayed your ticket.
Parking permits
To apply for resident, visitor, motorcycle, business, doctor, teacher, market trader or trade parking permits go to our:
Pay and display
Depending on where you park within Lambeth, you may park for a maximum of two or four hours.
Ways of paying for pay and display
There are two different types of pay and display machines in Lambeth - one that accepts cash only and one that accepts cash and card payments. Pay and display machines accept 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p and £1 coins.
Do not park in a pay and display bay for longer than you have paid for.
Pay and display in controlled parking zones
For information on charges in our controlled parking zones go to:
From June 2005, Penalty Charge Notices will not be issued where extra money has been inserted into the meter/pay and display machine, provided the maximum stay in the bay has not been exceeded.
Energy saving pay and display machines
In line with our commitment to reduce energy consumption, 25 percent of our pay and display machines are solar powered.
Out of order pay and display machines
Like many other London local authorities, we experience problems with vandalism and theft from our pay and display machines. Technicians regularly check each machine. However machines can be repaired and then vandalised minutes afterwards.
When a machine is faulty we are unable to accept a note displayed in the vehicle to state this. Unfortunately in the past unscrupulous motorists have taken advantage of this system of trust to gain free parking or extend their stay.
This means that even if a machine is out of order a civil enforcement officer (formerly known as a parking attendant) must issue a penalty charge notice if a vehicle is parked without the correct pay and display ticket. They cannot make exceptions to this rule.
A motorist must find another working machine to pay for parking. If a motorist is unable to find a working pay and display machine near to where they intend to park and receive a penalty charge notice, they can challenge it.
If records support the claim that the machine was out of order, the charge is normally cancelled. All challenges must be made in writing and sent to the address stated on the notice.
Free short-term parking bays
As a result of the closure of Brixton multi-storey car park the following free short term parking bays are available:
- 30 bays on Brixton Station Road (from Pope's Road to Gresham Road) and Valentia Place
- four bays in Electric Lane (near the junction with Rushcroft Road)
- two bays on Saltoun Road (near the junction with Railton Road).
You are allowed to park free for one hour after which you will need to remove your vehicle. You cannot return to the same space for two hours.
Parking during bank and public holidays
Care should be taken when parking during bank and public holidays as the regulations may differ from the usual hours of control.
Although certain restrictions are relaxed, you should carefully check all signs before parking in order to avoid getting a penalty charge notice (PCN).