Wandsworth Council is consulting residents on plans to convert eight resident parking spaces on Carlton Drive and Lytton Grove into dedicated school bus parking for Putney High School.
The plans might improve congestion by shifting more driving off Putney Hill at busy times.
Four controlled parking zone (CPZ) spaces on each street would become bus-only parking between 8am and 4:30pm Monday to Friday, reverting to general CPZ parking outside those hours.
The proposal is part of existing planning approval for the school site. Putney High School has no off-street parking, and its four bus routes currently park at available spaces on the two streets, serving over 200 students per day.
“This will limit the impact on controlled parking and reduce congestion on both roads by splitting the parking between them,” the council said in consultation documents. The school has agreed to stagger drop-off and collection times to manage access to the spaces and minimize disruption.
The dedicated bays would operate only during term time on weekdays. Outside school hours – before 8am, after 4:30pm, and at weekends – the spaces would revert to normal parking rules. The same applies during school holidays.
Carlton Drive features regularly in coverage of traffic problems. Residents told a community meeting in July that the street had become a rat run since changes to Putney Bridge junction, with some describing feeling “trapped” by increased traffic.
The council is now asking for views on whether dedicated school bus parking would help manage traffic in the area by reducing school-run car journeys.
Drop-in session next Friday
A drop-in session has been arranged at Putney High School for Friday, November 8th, from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. Entry is via the Junior School main entrance on Lytton Grove. Council officers will be available to answer questions about the proposals.
Residents can also submit feedback through an online survey, available on the council’s consultation website. The consultation closes on Thursday, November 28th.
If approved, the council aims to install the bus parking bays by the end of March 2026. All feedback will be reviewed and sent to the cabinet member for transport and ward councillors for consideration.
To participate:
- Drop-in session: Friday, November 8th, 5:30-7:30pm, Putney High School Junior School entrance, Lytton Grove
- Online survey: View consultation and submit feedback
- Closes: Thursday, November 28th
- Questions: TrafficandEngineering@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk or 020 8871 8210
Carlton Drive has always been a rat run, long before recent changes to the “Putney Bridge junction”.