Ealing Liberal Democrat Councillor Connie Hersch shares her views on plans by Labour-run Ealing Council to extend and expand control parking zones (CPZs) in the borough.
At an eventful full council meeting on Tuesday (10 December 2024) Liberal Democrat Councillors Jonathan Oxley and myself demanded that Ealing Labour rerun their unfair and biased consultation on controlled parking zones (CPZs).
We challenged Ealing Labour along with demonstrating residents outside. Two outraged residents who also posed some questions to the Labour administration about the new CPZ seemed unconvinced by the responses they received.
Ealing Labour are proposing two new CPZs in Greenford (at Greenford Town and Greenford South) where no restrictions exist as well as increasing restricted parking s from 2 or 3 hours per day to all day in 10 zones in Ealing and Acton. Many will remember that these CPZs were introduced to protect parking spaces for residents, especially those close to tube or train stations. The original aim was not to limit movement, flexibility or raise revenue as now seems the case.
The consultation is unfair and biased as it focused on all day CPZs with no option for a simple “yes/no” option to leave hours unchanged, effectively silencing those residents who prefer that CPZs stay as they are.
So rather than have an open and fair consultation looking at all options Ealing Labour is encouraging residents to “select” Ealing Labour’s preferred options.
This is likely to increase the cost for residents to buy vouchers, other payment mechanisms and increase the number of Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs).
The consultation questions collect information on resident travel habits/modes of transport, and the approach to the consultation shows that Ealing Labour are aiming to generate income and penalise car drivers. These changes will directly impact elderly residents, those with mobility issues and families with children attending activities or events.
It will inhibit independent living by vulnerable residents unfairly discriminating against them through additional costs, as they often require frequent attention from carers, friends and family to support them in their quality of life.
I say, Ealing Liberal Democrats believe that this consultation is unfair and biased. We would like to see it rerun with all the options fairly laid out including leaving the hours as they are, rather than the skewed preference to extending the hours.
Ealing Labour are expecting Ealing residents to carry the burden unfairly of revenue raising for the borough – this is underhand but it is what I have come to expect from Ealing Labour.
Councillor Oxley said: “Ealing Liberal Democrats believe these are anti-car measures that discriminate against people who rely on cars like older people, less mobile people and families with children. They will have a negative impact on struggling small businesses and are likely to stifle economic growth in the Borough rather than stimulating it.”
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