Nothing fair about parking increases

Islington Labour councillors like to parrot how they are “on our side”, so I’m sure residents will have been fascinated by your front page story (Gazette, December 2) on how drivers and businesses are to be whacked by the Labour council.

Labour councillors talk about “fairness”. But what’s fair about an increase in:

All existing resident parking charges (bar one) of between 21 per cent and 50 per cent and introducing five new charging bands?

Business permit charges of up to nearly 70 per cent taking them to �1,000 with new charges for low emission vehicles and second vehicles?

The number of free visitor vouchers to places of worship on Fridays and Saturdays even though many users will be coming from outside Islington?

Many residents have also expressed concern at the new policy allowing any permit holder to park anywhere in the borough between 10am and 2pm.

Resident parking charges were frozen by Liberal Democrat councillors these last 10 years. Now, as soon as Labour get back into power, they are clobbering local residents and businesses.

Even Labour councillors know these charges will hit the poorest hardest. The council report they agreed acknowledges this and that the rises will be unpopular. So much for being on residents’ side and helping local businesses. – Councillor Arthur Graves, Liberal Democrat transport spokesman, Town Hall, Upper Street, N1.