Islington Council has bowed to public demand against its controversial controlled parking zone (CPZ) plans, it emerged today.

The council had been planning for charged parking to be extended to seven days a week in the borough – and even 24 hours a day in some areas.

But the proposals, for which a two-month consultation took place this summer, were widely condemned by residents and businesses in most parts. At Cllr Richard Watts’ leader’s question time event earlier this month, discussion became an angry free-for-all as protestors’ frustrations spilled over.

The council’s controlling Labour group - 47 of 48 Islington representatives are Labour members - met last night amid the public’s concerns.

And a source told the Gazette this afternoon that the group is “minded” to not follow the proposals in three of the five zones - which make up the majority of the borough - where residents were overwhelmingly against the plans.

They are the Angel area, Archway regeneration area and stadium control area of locations affected by on-street parking on Arsenal FC matchdays.

But in the two other zones, the Finsbury Square and Farringdon Station area and Whittington Hospital area, the CPZ consultation indicated that a majority of residents were in favour of increased enforcement. The source said the group will therefore continue to pursue its plans in these zones.

A formal vote is currently scheduled at a meeting of the council’s executive in January. But the source said this could even be brought forward.

Cllr Claudia Webbe, executive member for environment and transport, said: “What I have always said is that we will listen to what residents and businesses have to say.

“We are committed to make the borough a better and fairer place to live.

“As a council, we have conducted one of the biggest consultations in its history, with well over 11,000 responses, and we are committed to listening to those.”