A LONG-ANTICIPATED consultation on a controversial parking scheme launches today.

Every resident, business, school, and nursery in Wanstead is today (March 24) being sent a paper questionnaire and information pack on Redbridge Council’s new parking scheme for the area.

Campaigners demanded the consultation after the council tried to introduce plans to implement pay and display parking on the high street and permits in residential roads under an “experimental traffic order” that does not require any public consultation.

During the six-week engagement period people can also book spots at three drop in sessions, view the consultation and shopper survey online, and see the proposals displayed at Wanstead Library in Spratt Hall Road.

Council leader Jas Athwal, who decided to make a U-turn on the scheme first put forward in November, is encouraging everyone affected to take part.

He said: “We’ve worked hard to build a consultation that takes influence from best practice from across the country.

“Now we want to hear from you. Use this opportunity to have your say, whether that’s through our paper consultation or online and get your views heard.

“We’ve proved time and again that we are a listening Council, when residents made it clear that they wanted a different approach to this project we took their views on board.

He added: “As I’ve said before getting parking right is a tough balancing act.

“We have to try to balance the needs of motorists, local residents and businesses with a huge number of other local factors such as ensuring vehicles can move freely, bus journey times, road safety, and displacement from other parking schemes such as those being introduced in Newham.

“We know that means we can’t please everyone but we have to do what we think is best for the area as a whole.”

The feedback given during the consultation will be analysed on a road-by-road basis and will be published online before a final report on the scheme.

To find out more, see the Redbridge Council website.