Parking Restrictions

Controlled Parking Zones - CPZs

Islington, like most other London Boroughs is largely made up of areas of restricted parking called Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs). CPZs reduce commuter parking, freeing up spaces and reduce congestion. This reduces pollution and improves air quality, which benefits the health of the community.

CPZs form a bounded area where restrictions are the same throughout and permits, vouchers and pay and display tickets will be useable throughout the CPZ.

Restricted times are given at zone entry points on zone entry signs. These conform to national regulations and are show in the Highway Code.

The Highway Code provides a comprehensive guide to parking lines and signs.

Yellow lines

Yellow lines indicate parking restrictions:

• Double yellow lines = no parking “at any time”
• Single yellow lines = restricted during designated times.

In a CPZ, the restricted times will be on the zone entry signs.

Outside of a CPZ, you will see a sign or timeplate in the street indicating the restricted times.

You may park to load or unload goods for up to 20 minutes on yellow lines.

If you are a Blue Badge holder you can park for up to 3 hours on yellow lines provided the clock card is displayed and set to your time of arrival.

Loading restrictions

Loading restrictions indicate that you can’t park at all, even for loading or unloading goods. Loading restrictions can be on both single and double yellow lines and are indicated by yellow chevrons on the kerbstone and/or an accompanying timeplate or sign.

If you are a Blue Badge holder you can’t park on yellow lines where there are loading restrictions.

Loading and unloading goods

You may park to load or unload goods for up to 20 minutes on yellow lines, where there is no loading restriction and in parking places (residents, business, pay and display and shared use bays). However, before 11am, you may park for as long as needed to complete loading or unloading on yellow lines.

The only exceptions are in Bus Lanes or on yellow line where loading restrictions are also in place, as indicated by yellow chevrons on the kerb and by an accompanying time-plate.

Loading/unloading should be a continuous activity. The concession is not intended for parking for periods while works take place before loading has commenced, or after loading has been completed. If you need to park for these purposes, you must pay to park in the usual manner at a pay and display machine or apply for a permission to park notice.

For more information click on: loading and unloading
(pdf file - 173kb)

Red Routes

Red route restrictions operate in a similar way to loading restrictions. They are enforced by Metropolitan Police Traffic Wardens and not by the Council.

They can be double of single red lines. Like yellow lines, double red route lines are restricted at any time. Single red routes lines are restricted during times given on signs. You will also find loading bays and parking bays on red routes with accompanying timeplates or signs.

NB If you should receive a fixed penalty notice for illegally parking on a red route you will not be able to contact us to pay or appeal.

Parking places

Parking places are any designated parking area, such as residents, business, doctors, or pay and display bays. White lines on the street and an accompanying timeplate or sign indicate parking places.

Different parking places can be adjacent to each other. A residents’ bay may be next to a pay and display bay, for example. Where this happens, broken double white lines will separate the bays. There will also be separate signage for each parking place.

If you are a Blue Badge holder you can park for an unlimited time in all parking places, except for doctor's bays.