But Labour comes back fighting over £90,000 ‘squander’ claims

Islington Liberal Democrats have claimed the council’s controversial parking consultation was “unjustified” after it received an average of just two complaints a week about parking in the borough.

This summer, the Labour-controlled authority ran a £90,000 consultation about increasing charged parking to seven days a week across Islington.

It did so because its last controlled parking zone (CPZ) review was in 2007. With increased enforcement, the council wanted to make it easier for residents to park nearer their homes.

However, as reported in the Gazette, an Islington Labour source said the group will throw out its proposals in the majority of the borough after widespread protests. Over 10,000 signatures had been signed in numerous petitions against the plans.

After a Freedom of Information request from Islington Liberal Democrats, it emerged there were 113 parking complaints in the 2012/13 financial year; 111 in 2013/14; 103 in 2014/15; and 39 from April 1 to August 31 this year.

And the group said most of these complaints were about the incorrect issuing of parking tickets - and not about the provision of parking spaces, or hours of operation of parking zones.

Nick Manners, chairman of Islington Liberal Democrats, said: “The FOI request clearly shows that there was no justification behind increasing the parking restriction.

“We are pleased to have worked with Islington Chamber of Commerce, local traders and residents to hammer home the message to the Labour-run council: that these charges are not welcome.

“On top of this, it has become clear that the council have squandered £90,000 on a parking consultation that had no justification or need in the first place. Islington Lib Dems and I find this an intolerable waste of money.”

Cllr Claudia Webbe, Islington Council’s executive member for environment and transport, responded: “Frankly, it’s a bit rich for others to forget that when they (Liberal Democrats) ran the council, the cost of consultations on CPZs was ten times higher: £840,000 was spent from 2001-2007 on CPZ consultations under that administration.

“Our consultation represented good value for money by using targeted engagement and online resources.

“Consultation has now finished and as I have said throughout, the council will listen very carefully to views of residents and businesses.”