Redbridge Council has announced that it will, after all, conduct a “full and thorough detailed consultation” into its parking plans for Wanstead. It’s the second change in two days to the council’s proposals and followed a partial alteration which was announced on Wednesday. The results of the consultation will be published in their entirety, the council has promised.
The council statement reads:
[su_panel background=”#dddcdd” border=”1px none #cccccc” shadow=”0px 0px 0px #eeeeee”]Council announces changes to Wanstead parking plans after listening to residents
After listening to residents the Council Leader has announced it will be making changes to the parking plans that were set to be introduced in Wanstead in February. Our initial approach was to present a scheme to residents, take on feedback and make changes to the scheme so that a balanced approach could be found that works for residents, businesses and commuters. Further feedback over a period of up to 18 months would have been sought before the final scheme was consulted on as part of making any scheme permanent. Upon further reflection; and having listened to residents at both the Neighbourhoods Service Committee and at Cabinet, we have decided to carry out a full and thorough detailed consultation, with the results published in their entirety. Further information on the consultation will be sent to Wanstead residents in the coming weeks.[/su_panel]
The new position seems to Wansteadium to be a complete victory for those Wanstead campaigners – and, to be frank, this website – who were demanding a consultation take place.
On Monday our (first ever) editorial said:
Unless Redbridge Council undertakes to do the proper consultation, it’s hard to avoid the suspicion that this scheme is nothing to do with improving parking – it’s simply an easy way to raise cash for the council. For a political party to do that in an area where it doesn’t stand to make significant electoral losses would just be shabby. It’s time to show that that’s not the case.
As far as Wansteadium can see, this is everything we were asking for.
The #WeWantSay campaigners welcomed the announcement and have issued a letter in response to the council announcement and will proceed with tonight’s meeting at the Scout Hall.
We have responded to @Jas_Athwal @RedbridgeLive setting out our expectations on consultation & design of scheme. #WEWANTSAY @Wansteadium pic.twitter.com/8CrwduS2Hx
— WeWantSay (@WeWantSay) January 13, 2017
Very good news and quite right too!
Great work everyone
Gerry to the council discussion tonight?
Does FULL mean those who already pay may be eligible to get the first car free? Can this be on the agenda?
Also I have a question… I have just seen two cars outside the shops get tickets..
One was clearly parked over the ‘Keep Clear’ text and their was an abundance of other places to park (without charge).
Now the question is, would Pay and Display help here?
I believe YES! Those two cars now have £30 (?) fines to pay for loading, they were parked under ‘No Loading’ signs!. One had left a Pug in the car so they were clearly ‘only going to be a minute’ (Think Mr Bus stop parking guy from last year). If it was Pay and Display then for £1 or so they would have avoided £30. Who wants to keep getting £30 fines each time they pop to the shop.
Also, who takes their Pug for a drive!!??!!
One of the vehicles was a Smart Car. I bet you do not feel so smart with your £30 fine.
I feel sorry for the Parking Warden. It is bitter outside and he is only doing his job. £30 fines on cars is a cash cow! £1/£2 for a couple of hours IS NOT!
In the scenario described above, I don’t think having Pay and Display would have made any difference. The two ticketed-cars were illegally parked even though Trevor says there was an abundance of free spaces nearby.
The drivers were presumably aware they were in the wrong and could get a ticket but were just ‘taking a chance’. This behaviour suggests they would have done so even if Pay and Display options were available.
https://www.redbridge.gov.uk/redbridge-news/council-announces-changes-to-wanstead-parking-plans-after-listening-to-residents/
“Our initial approach was to present a scheme to residents, take on feedback and make changes to the scheme so that a balanced approach could be found that works for residents, businesses and commuters.”
This seems to be at odds with what was on the leaflets, which effectively said this is what we will be doing in February, so do nothing for now and we will be in touch. Had it been presented like this then I suspect the reaction to the scheme would have been more moderate, and a balance could have been struck.
I think that a full consultation is a great idea as it will allow residents to provide input. And will hopefully provide a solution that meets the needs of the residents.
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What about the poles and the mysterons? What a waste.
HOORAY !!!
Great news. Well done to everyone who wrote to the council, especially to councillor John Howard, all we want is a thriving High Street.
Actually I’d like a safer high street.
Under the new scheme it will be the same as SouthWoodford where you can have 30mins free – great!
Though to get your free 30 minutes there must be the option of either using RingGo via phone, or the good old fashioned paper ticket, should you prefer that.
Absolutely Peter, as one can put various points and solutions across in a calm considered and reasonable manner, unlike the noisy angry atmospheres at some public meetings with everyone shouting.
This is good news. I will be pushing for parking restrictions on the high street which are long over due to combat terrible parking and driving as mentioned by Trevor above.
More wardens throughout the day will hopefully kerb the dreadful parking on double yellows, disabled bays, bus stops etc. which is endemic by the entitled.
Making the high street less desirable for the minority who drive will make is safer and nicer for the majority that don’t which will make it more attractive.
The over-spill will have to be monitored and potentially dealt with and I will be supporting that if it is an issue.
Indeed! I salute you.
“Our initial approach…..;” LBR forgot to include some things they have achieved; define scope of work, put out to tender, select and engage contractor, sign contracts and commence work. Lol.
What a crock.
We have to make sure that the Council keeps its word and does not back track just paying lip service to consultation and ensure that no more metal posts go up.
If anybody does see people putting in posts suggest that they Email and report this to Councillors Howard and Athwal asking why such work is going on when they have given a personal assurance to look again at the proposed measures
On behalf of @WeWantSay Action Group.
We’re very pleased with the result achieved which from the beginning was all we have been calling for, a full consultation with everyone on all the options/measures, as we accept there are traffic/parking related issues but any response by way of a scheme should be proportionate and consented to by us all, the community.
We will now be adopting a watching brief position to ensure the promises made and expectations we have set are fully met. Details are in the letter I sent (copy attached to tweet in article above).
Please do attend the public meeting if you can tonight, and also support the social media discussion following the username @WeWantSay and hashtag #WeWantSay.
I want to publicly Thank everyone in the WeWantSay Team and equally those who have worked closely alongside us, and supported us, giving up their own time to collect signatures, visit businesses, groups and attend Committeee meetings with the Council such as the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday to help bring about this reverse. Without everyone’s hard work and effort this would not have been possible… but there is still much more work to do!
PS – We will be making ‘Deputations’ at the full Council meeting next Thursday and forcing a Council debate given petition. Pls come along if you can to support the team.
KR
Farooq
thanks for all your hard work, past and future.
Very good news that LBR are now agreeing to do what they should have done in the first place. They should have remembered the furore from about four years ago. There is obviously a very strong community spirit within and for “Wanstead” (and long may it continue) and in that I include those areas which are not immediately adjacent to the High Street or Spratt Hall Road. For decades a lot of us have supported the businesses and community events and general ethos of “Wanstead” even though we live a mile or so away from the High Street (in areas that historically were known as “South Wanstead”!). So I say to LBR, when you consult with “residents” please also remember there other stakeholders who are likewise affected about the issues and care about them albeit they may not be “resident” within the immediate areas mentioned above. Include them within the consultation.
It good news. I do hope that the community is presented with details of the parking problems, & possible solutions, so we can make informed decisions
Before we all get carried away, it should be reminded that a consultation does not mean putting the decision into the hands of Wanstead residents.
A consultation is to gain views and put into a decision making process along with other stakeholders (traffic planners, environmental planners, emergency services etc etc).
The final decision may well be different to the majority verdict from the public consultation element.
there has to be a very sound reason to go against the majority wishes…sounds like a touch of the hillaries.
‘…traffic planners, environmental planners, emergency services…’ arent stakeholders…residents and users are!
Decision by a popularity contest doesn’t tend to work for the best. Usually they are aligned but if the public decide nimbyism means nothing would get built or get done.
Want a new hospital in London? But who would agree to have it at the bottom of their road.
Moving away from car dominance is unpopular but it’s happening all over London. It should come to our high street too.
Sean Walter-Browne
This is what Jas Athwal’s ministry of truth said on Wednesday on https://www.redbridge.gov.uk/redbridge-news/council-announces-changes-to-wanstead-parking-plans-after-listening-to-residents/
Council announces changes to Wanstead parking plans after listening to residents
After listening to residents the Council has announced it will be making changes to the parking plans that were set to be introduced in Wanstead in February.
Councillor John Howard, Cabinet Member for Environment and Sustainability said, “We have been listening to residents through the process and considering all feedback about the plans. After taking that on board we’ve decided to make some changes which we think work better for residents and motorists.”
The new plans have a number of alterations, for example roads South of Redbridge Lane West including the area around Wanstead High School are no longer planned to have parking restrictions. Other roads such as Grove Park and The Avenue are now proposed to have a mixture of pay and display and residents’ permit spaces.
Cllr Howard added, “We’ve come at this project with an open mind. We want to find a parking solution that is right for the area, that deals with the present and future pressures on parking spaces but also takes into account the needs of businesses, residents and shoppers. As part of our continued commitment to listen to our residents we will once again be writing to people in the affected area and making them aware of the changes.”
To allow the Council time to collect and review the feedback on the new plans, the introduction of the scheme has been put back a month and is now set to start in March.
More information on the scheme will follow in the following weeks
Councillor Atwal must be thanked for taking the time to attend yesterdays meeting at the Scout Hut regarding the lack of consolation over the Councils plans to introduce new parking measures into Wanstead.
His statement that he only got involved and became aware of the situation last Tuesday, when people made a deputation to the Council is rather farcical, as I and many other people have been emailing him since early December.
His implication that he has been kept in the dark by his Officers is again is difficult to believe. This assertion comes on the very day that Redbridge is making many of its long standing senior people redundant. The Neil Kinnock phrase of the 1980,s “scuttling round Liverpool in taxis to give out redundancy notices !” springs to mind. If anybody has kept Councillor Athwal in the dark it is his own politicians.
However for now let us all give him the benefit of the doubt and see if he lives up to his word provides proper consultation and abides by the outcome of it.
Councillor Atwal must be thanked for taking the time to attend yesterdays meeting at the Scout Hut regarding the lack of consolation over the Councils plans to introduce new parking measures into Wanstead.
His statement that he only got involved and became aware of the situation last Tuesday, when people made a deputation to the Council is rather farcical, as I and many other people have been emailing him since early December.
His implication that he has been kept in the dark by his Officers is again is difficult to believe. This assertion comes on the very day that Redbridge is making many of its long standing senior people redundant. The Neil Kinnock phrase of the 1980,s “scuttling round Liverpool in taxis to give out redundancy notices !” springs to mind. If anybody has kept Councillor Athwal in the dark it is his own politicians.
However for now let us all give him the benefit of the doubt and see if he lives up to his word provides proper consultation and abides by the outcome of it.
Personally, I am pleased that Cllr Athwal attended last night’s public meeting and positive about what appeared to be a genuine desire to ‘reset’ and undertake the ‘exemplary consultation’ that he has now promised. It’s evident that the Council both misjudged the local mood and did not even follow their own ‘Parking Strategy’ individual scheme development process over recent weeks, but we are now in a new place. Let’s look forward positively, but cautiously. Proper consultation will involve the Council sharing the evidence it has of the current problem; and good information, dialogue and open-ness on best fit solutions for all. Importantly, it was good to hear Cllr Athwal’s (perhaps belated) personal grip on the situation and a commitment that a whole community approach to consultation is required, and not merely one which focuses just on CPZ’s. This is about the whole Wanstead and South Wanstead community which uses the High Street and its business and community facilities, and areas which would also suffer from displacement from all/any unnecessary CPZ zoning.
On behalf of @WeWantSay Action Group.
The public meeting last night (13th) at the Scout Hut was an overwhelming success with turnout filling hut capacity. The meeting was declared non-partisan by the Councillors and with the unexpected attendance of the Leader of the Council, members of the community took opportunity to directly ask questions, making it very clear the proposed experimental parking scheme is not wanted in its current form. Members of our @WeWantSay (WWS) Action Group were also in full attendance and made representations, with Cllr Athwal acknowledging that the speeches we made at Cabinet earlier in the week had forced him to reconsider and reverse the Council’s plan. As such, Cllr Athwal confirmed the scheme has now been stopped, and a full & detailed consultation will take place with the community to work up a scheme that works for everyone. Members of the WWS Action Group, we have been campaigning on this issue and engaging with the Council since the ‘scheme’ was announced on 5th December, collecting signatures for a petition, preparing Deputations for full Council, speaking at Committee meetings, lobbying MP/Cllrs, and exchanging correspondence directly with Cllr Athwal on the matter leading to this welcome outcome, setting out our expectations to the Council for next steps. We’re now planning for next steps and have called upon all Ward Cllrs from Snaresbrook & Wanstead wards to work together and with us towards the best outcome for all concerned within the community. You can follow further updates and developments on our @WeWantSay Twitter account. I will also be publishing the transcript from my Speech last Tuesday on our Twitter page to share with all. Thank you to all who have been directly and indirectly supporting us on this campaign.
Farooq, Wanstead Resident &
on behalf of @WeWantSay Action Group
At the meeting Friday evening, Cllr. Athwall asked “What’s so special about Wanstead?” He should visit our beloved High Street on a sunny afternoon, see the children playing in the lovely renewed playground, walk through Wanstead Park, especially bluebell time, learn some history by visiting the Temple in the park, sit by one of the lakes to enjoy the delicious snacks and see people coming from far and wide thrilled at the parks natural beauty and so much more. The fact that we care so much and take so much pride in Wanstead that this campaign has been so enthusiastically supported makes Wanstead special. Has a campaign like this been set up in the other areas that Cllr. Athwall says parking must be changed if Wanstead does not accept proposals?