Controversial roamer parking scheme won’t include Arsenal match day zones

A CONTROVERSIAL new parking scheme that comes into force on Monday has been amended to exclude Arsenal match-day controlled zones.

The resident roamer scheme allows those with parking permits to use any resident bay in the borough between 11am and 3pm, Monday to Saturday.

The original proposal would have allowed residents to park in bays around the Emirates on match days, but this was changed before the scheme was rubber stamped this week.

Labour councillor Paul Smith, cabinet member for environment, said: “We sent out 26,000 letters and there were some valid suggestions which we took on board. This scheme will make people’s lives better as they can drive to see people and run errands when the bays are emptier in the middle of the day. This is a positive thing.”

But the scheme has come under fierce criticism from residents and opposition politicians, who say the council has ignored a petition of 3,000 signatures calling on them to dump the scheme in its entirety.

John Ackers, of the campaign group Stop The Roamer, said: “The council doesn’t get the results it likes when it consults the public, so it spins the results – and then they go and say they are on the residents’ side. It’s absolutely ridiculous.”

Councillor Arthur Graves, the Liberal Democrat environmental spokesman, said: “Their arrogance is unbelievable. Why won’t they admit they’ve got it wrong? Thousands of Islington residents don’t believe this policy will work.”