REDBRIDGE Council has apologised to a campaigner after his submitted question about a controversial parking scheme was “ignored” at a meeting.

Michael Powis says his questions on the new pay-and-display system for Wanstead High Street were not acknowledged by council leader Jas Athwal.

The campaigner of Grosvenor Road, Wanstead, submitted his questions before the public forum meeting on October 24 and received confirmation from the council.

On the night however, Mr Powis said people only needed to raise their hands and were selected by Cllr Athwal.

Mr Powis, a strong opponent of the council’s controversial pay-and-display proposal for Wanstead High Street, blasted the process which led to his concerns being unaddressed.

He said: “We were spitting blood and feathers. We’ve had a campaign to stop this and we’ve been completely ignored. The whole thing was like a Whitehall farce without the humour

“We were ignored. What’s the point of submitting your questions if you’re completely ignored? That’s not democracy. It was a total farce.”

Mr Powis believes the controversial pay-and-display proposals are being pushed through despite substantial opposition.

He added: “They’re going to destroy the 100 per cent occupancy down the High Street.

“It will become like Ilford, which used to a premier shopping centre. Parking regimes kill these high streets.”

A spokeswoman for Redbridge Council said: “When questions are submitted in advance of a local forum, they are not always covered on the evening itself but we do make a commitment to include an answer in the minutes of the meeting, which are published on our website.

“In this instance, we must apologise as due to a recording error the answer to the question submitted by Mr Powis was not initially included in the published minutes.

“This has now been rectified and the answer to this question along with all others submitted can be viewed on our website.”