The community turned out in force as compromise changes to parking restrictions which have divided Wanstead were rubberstamped.

A 12-month trial permit scheme was introduced in Addison, Dangan, Spratt Hall and Chaucer Roads last year after residents complained commuters were clogging up their streets.

Since then the scheme has spread to several surrounding roads.

But opponents say it is damaging the local economy by deterring customers, causing chaos on the school run and stopping people accessing services such as the GP surgery in Wanstead Place.

About 120 people attended a meeting on Monday at Wanstead Church School, where the council’s area one committee approved a number of measures to modify the scheme which officers say will create up to 120 additional short-term parking places.

They include the introduction of one-hour permit restrictions between 11am and midday at the Cambridge Park end of affected roads, the Christchurch Green side of Spratt Hall Road and the Spratt Hall Road end of Chaucer Road.

Current permit restrictions will remain in place on all other parts of roads currently in the scheme.

All day restrictions in parts of Grove Park, Nightingale Lane and The Avenue will be converted to a one hour ban between 9.30am and 10.30am to provide additional parking places close to High Street.

Tracy-Ann Ransom, of Gordon Road, summed up the mood of many at the meeting when she said: “I believe everyone in this room loves and cares about Wanstead and want our community and high street to prosper.

“This compromise is a way for this to happen and I would fail to understand how any reasonable person who cares about Wanstead could possibly oppose it.”

Judith Zimelstern, who owns Judith’s clothing shop on High Street, was one of several local traders to attend the meeting.

She welcomed the changes but implied that they had come too late when she revealed she was planning to close part of her shop.

She also claimed she knew of six other traders who planned to move out of High Street.

“It is partially due to the recession, it is partially due to the appalling weather we have experienced, but I would say it is 60 per cent due to the bad parking facilities.” she said.

While the majority spoke in favour of the changes, there were complaints from Spratt Hall Road resident Charles Llewellyn, who fears his road will remain congested.

And Councillor Sue Nolan was angrily heckled when she defended the original decision to just consult in the roads directly affected,  prompting chairman Cllr Chris Cummins to threaten to suspend the meeting.

The expected income from the first year of the permit scheme is about £25,000, which will be spent on parking and traffic management schemes in Wanstead and Snaresbrook.