Redbridge Council plans to expand Controlled Parking Zones

On January 12, the cabinet agreed to start consulting on proposed zones in Ilford, Seven Kings, Goodmayes, Chadwell Heath and around King George Hospital in February.

Residents in Woodford or South Woodford are likely to be consulted on new zones in their areas in May or June.

A report prepared for the cabinet states it will only “normally consider” going ahead with a new controlled parking zone (CPZ) if half of affected households agree.

The council's overview committee on January 11 raised concerns about whether new controlled parking zones may simply push problems elsewhere.

Read more: Redbridge Council cabinet reshuffled as vacant positions filled after months

Speaking at the overview meeting, deputy leader Cllr Kam Rai (Lab, Goodmayes) said: “CPZs’ primary aim is to help people park in their local area.

“We are seeing more and more car-free (planning) applications for development. Once you have a CPZ, it means you can’t have future developments being part of the scheme.

“We have got a number of CPZs across the borough at the moment and they seem to have no issue, they work quite successfully.”

He said that the key benefits of new zones would be to reduce traffic, improve air quality and protect parking for current residents, especially against commuter parking.

Cllr Ross Hatfull (Lab, Valentines) said: “My big concern is actually about displacement. Roads that are now away from a problem could become a problem because all we do is move traffic a few roads down.

“Not everyone who uses local places of worship lives locally. I do worry that, when you have the combination of the loss of Seven Kings car park with this CPZ, you are replacing one problem with another.”

In October, a Sikh temple told the Local Democracy Reporting Service they were worried plans to build homes on Seven Kings car park could leave their worshippers with nowhere to park.

Read more: Seven Kings Sikh temple objects to council plans for car park

Cllr Rai responded: “We do need to accept that we do not really want to continue to encourage car usage, it’s not something that people are welcoming.

“We are really well-served with public transport so we need to make sure people know that’s there and encourage that.

“This report is asking to go out and start the process in these two specific areas. It’s giving permission to go and implement the CPZ. There are stages to this process.”

What will happen next In February, residents living in the first five areas to be consulted will receive a letter and detailed area plan, inviting them to complete an online survey.

Those without access to the internet will be able to request postal questionnaires.

Residents will be told how much parking permits will cost and how they will work and asked questions about whether they want a CPZ and how it should operate.

The council will also hold “virtual drop-in sessions” to answer any questions residents may have.

Depending on residents’ views, a CPZ may be introduced over the whole area or in some streets and not others. All those consulted will be informed of the result.

NHS, care and emergency workers are currently exempt from parking restrictions around the borough due to the pandemic.

For more breaking news, local headlines and features, ‘like’ our Facebook page.

We also have a Twitter account: @ELondonGuardian

Follow us to keep up-to-date with news in Waltham Forest and Redbridge.