Garage access wins 9.6-metre parking ban in Annandale lane

Garage users in Annandale will gain clearer access to their properties after the Inner West Council Local Transport Forum backed a 9.6-metre No Parking zone opposite 217 and 219 Trafalgar Street.

The zone will be placed on the eastern side of Trafalgar Lane, where cars parked opposite driveway entrances have made it difficult to manoeuvre into rear-property garages. Forum members rejected a shorter restriction, concluding it would not adequately resolve the access problem.

The restriction prioritises access to the affected garages over retaining on-street parking in that section of the lane. Parking will be removed from the designated 9.6-metre zone.

Three other possible No Parking zones, opposite 254, 221 and 149 Trafalgar Street, were supported in principle only. They will be considered for implementation if further requests are received and a separate community consultation supports them.

The proposal drew competing views from speakers. Damien Prentice said vehicles parked opposite driveway access points made garage manoeuvring difficult and that the issue had affected access for years. Ludvik warned that parking demand in the surrounding area was already high and that the restrictions would reduce convenient spaces for residents, visitors and tradespeople.

Craig Myers and Bharat Pandya, speaking on behalf of Vivek, supported the restriction. Myers described access and manoeuvring in the lane as difficult when vehicles were parked opposite garage driveways. Pandya said attempts by affected residents to resolve the issue had not produced a satisfactory outcome.

The forum was told the affected double-garage development was constructed in 2022. Council officers said the proposed restriction followed an assessment of lane width, parking availability, garage access, vehicle manoeuvring and traffic engineering factors.

Officers described the 9.6-metre zone as a balance between retaining on-street parking and providing safe, practical access to garages and off-street parking. No implementation date was specified.