Residents across Ealing will be protesting outside Ealing Council’s Perceval House civic centre on Tuesday (10 December 2024) to raise concerns over a proposal from the council to extend control parking zones (CPZ) operating hours in nine areas across the borough including Ealing Broadway, West Ealing and East Acton as well as introduce two new CPZs in Greenford.
The protest outside Perceval House from 5pm will take place prior to a full Ealing Council meeting at 7pm in which two residents will be asking questions about the plans at the meeting.
The first question from Christina Akubeze to Councillor Paul Driscoll, Cabinet Member for Climate Action asks: “The proposed CPZs in Greenford are unfair, will cause hardship for residents and businesses and are unneeded. There is significant opposition to the proposal in the local community. Will the council reconsider the CPZ proposal, listen to the community and focus on resolving the real causes of congestion?”
The second question from Minni Dogra to Councillor Driscoll asks: “Will the Council treat the CPZ Consultations as a preliminary public engagement exercise and, in the spirit of “Your Voice Your Town”, immediately arrange local meetings and workshops for residents to consider any forms or options of parking restrictions which they consider more suitable for their own streets.”
In its consultation with locals, Labour-run Ealing Council says it wants to “make sure Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs) are effective at prioritising resident parking and to encourage more people to travel actively and sustainably, Ealing Council is proposing to extend the operating times “.
It added: “CPZs that operate for 1 hour in the morning and in the afternoon were put in place to prevent all-day parking by non-residents. However, the short times are difficult to enforce effectively, and recent parking pressure surveys show that there is still significant parking pressure on many of the roads in these CPZ areas.
“Data also shows that over 30% of car journeys within the borough cover less than 2km which, made easier by non-controlled parking zones, goes against the council’s Climate and Ecological Emergency Strategy to make Ealing carbon neutral by 2030.”
For the two new CPZs in Greenford, Ealing Council said it is: “proposing a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) in Greenford South and Greenford Town Centre to address high parking demand and improve local traffic conditions.”
Among the options the council has presented to residents living in the areas is to choose from 8am-8pm, 8am-6pm and a free text box to choose other times or no times.
Posting on Facebook, one local said: “I’ve parked in the unrestricted times and the roads are clear and plenty of spaces (eg. Ealing Broadway/Common and West Ealing). I use them for shopping for my business and family. If there are restrictions, I simply will no longer support local businesses and drive further out or shop online. Less foot traffic will kill off small businesses.”
Another commented: “This is about paying traffic wardens to police short hours!”
One resident said they would support extended hours. Posting on Facebook, they said: “Unfortunately lots of people drive when they could walk or cycle short distances and there is too much traffic on the roads – the proposal is a stick rather than a carrot to try to reduce car usage. The council need revenue to fund their services – and this policy will increase their revenue (and so stop the need for higher council tax). On balance, I support the proposal.”
Residents in Greenford have also set up a petition over plans to introduce CPZ. Petition organiser Rupinder Sehmi said: “As a resident of the affected area, I am strongly opposed to Ealing Council’s proposal to introduce a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) in Greenford South and Greenford Town Centre. The decision is not only unnecessary but also threatens to cause significant harm to our community.”
Another petition has been set-up by another group of concerned Greenford locals on the council’s ePetition website.
Speaking to EALING.NEWS, Ealing Liberal Democrat Councillor Connie Hersch spokesperson for crime, communities and town centres, said: “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.”
“These measures are anti-car measures that discriminate against people who rely on cars like older people, less mobile people , families with children and small businesses/traders.”
In a statement attacking the CPZ plans for Greenford, Ealing Conservatives said: “Thousands of Greenford residents may soon be forced to pay hundreds of pounds annually just to park outside their own homes, under controversial new Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) proposals by Ealing Council.
“Back in 2017, an overwhelming 93% of residents rejected a similar CPZ plan. Despite this, the Labour-run council has resurrected the proposals, seemingly ignoring the clear voice of the community.
“The revived plans cover two areas encompassing much of Greenford: Greenford South CPZ and Greenford Town Centre CPZ. Some residents affected by these proposals live as far as a 20-minute walk from Greenford Broadway, sparking questions about the necessity and fairness of the zones.”
Speaking to EALING.NEWS, an Ealing Council spokesperson said: “Ealing Council is proposing to extend the operating time for nine Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs) in the borough to more effectively prioritise resident parking.
“The council hopes that by extending the CPZ’s operational hours it will help reduce the negative impact of congestion and air pollution by encouraging more people to walk, cycle or use public transport, when possible, when travelling around the borough.
“The council is working on a new transport strategy and will be gathering resident’s views on transport and travel to develop plans to address these issues. It is also asking the community to work with them to change the way they park to help make the borough a cleaner, greener and healthier place to live.”
 to highlight their concerns over a proposal by the council to extend control parking zones (CPZ) operating hours in nine areas across the borough including Ealing Broadway, West Ealing and East Acton as well as introduce two new CPZs in Greenford.){kind=link}