8:05am Thursday 23rd August 2007
By Jonathan Moyes
THE council will scrap residents' right to decide whether controlled parking zones (CPZ) are introduced in their streets.
Currently residents must vote in favour of a scheme before it can be introduced.
However, the council has confirmed it will adopt recommendations included in a report by JMP Consulting to smooth the way for a roll-out of CPZs across the borough.
The report entitled People, Streets and Places, says the council should introduce the system used in other boroughs and remove the vote as the deciding factor in the consultation process.
It says: "The strategy will uphold the importance of the consultation, but this consultation needs to be integrated into the approach rather than being the sole criteria for assessment."
Conservative opposition leader Cllr Matt Davis reacted to the news angrily.
He said: "I think this approach is an affront to democracy and I find it repulsive.
"This is another example of this administration's bully-boy agenda, when they bully the residents into doing what they want.
"There's a lot of localised evidence that Labour will lose seats over this parking thing.
"Councils do not exist to tell people how to live their lives, but to give residents good services."
He added: "The only way we can achieve a shift out of private car use (is to provide) better public transport."
The JMP report includes the views of environment portfolio holder Cllr Bob Belam and three other council cabinet members, including council leader Clyde Loakes, who all agree that the existing CPZ system needs to change.
Waltham Forest currently has the lowest percentage of CPZ coverage compared to nearby boroughs.
On the issue of residents' views, Cllr Belam is reported as saying: "Residents think consultation is corrupt and it doesn't matter what happens as the council will only do what they like."
A council spokesman said: "Residents will still be consulted on CPZs, but they will not be the only factor taken into account.
"Issues like technical assessments, in-principal consultations and detailed design consultations will now also be included when developing CPZs in the borough."
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