AN EXPERIMENTAL parking permit scheme will be reviewed by the Council after complaints from local businesses.

A 12-month resident only trial scheme was introduced on Addison, Chaucer, Dangan and Spratt Hall Roads in Wanstead last month after people complained commuters were clogging their roads.

But the scheme has faced opposition from several local businesses who say their staff and customers have nowhere to park.

Igor Bekaert owns Belgique in Cambridge Park and says he is losing as much as £200 a day because people are deserting his cafe for coffee shops where they can park outside.

He has emailed Redbridge’s Cabinet Member for Highways, Michelle Dunn, urging her to scrap the scheme.

He said: “She replied that the council had consulted residents about this before bringing it in.

“I said ‘OK, but if you only consult residents of course they will say they want it’.

“She said it will not be easy but in the short term, they could look at making some changes on the east side of Spratt Hall Road.

“They have to do something because if you damage local businesses like this you hurt the community as a whole.”

Cllr Dunn was not available to talk to the Guardian, but a spokesman for Redbridge Council confirmed the scheme could be reviewed ahead of next April.

He said: “The Council has been in touch with cafes and other businesses in the area and we are taking any concerns on board.

“The new Controlled Parking Zone is an experimental scheme and we are monitoring parking patterns and will be reviewing the operation soon.

“One of the options we will consider is the introduction of some parking for businesses - staff and customers – as part of the review.

“The eastern side of Spratt Hall Road is an area we will be looking at.”

"Discussions will be held with local Councillors over the next few weeks to see if any changes could be made to benefit local businesses without negatively affecting the residents who voted for the permit scheme.

"The Council has the discretion to make any necessary alterations to the operation of the scheme before the end of the one year trial period."

At least one business has already taken action to alleviate the problem.

The owners of the Bungalow Cafe on Spratt Hall Road have demolished an outside wall and are in the process of laying block paving to create three parking spaces at the rear of the property.

Manager of the Cafe, Alexandra Dejczoova, said: “It is costing us thousands of pounds, but what else can we do?

“We have lost about 20 percent of custom since the introduction of this scheme.

“We are not going to just stand by and watch the business fall into the abyss.

“Small business owners have families to feed and staff to pay as much as residents.

“The council must look again at this scheme.”

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