London council launches crackdown on bad parking

The council’s new parking strategy includes more CCTV cameras to monitor bad parking and more enforcement action across the borough. It also wants to cut traffic near schools during drop-off and pick-up times.

Senior Labour councillor Syed Ghani, responsible for parking, said the plan is “designed to support safer, cleaner and greener neighbourhoods” in Barking and Dagenham.

It says there is increased demand for on-street parking, while too few people walk, cycle or use public transport.

“As the borough has grown, demand for kerbside space has increased significantly,” council papers say.

“Increased residential development, changing housing patterns and population growth have resulted in greater demand for limited parking capacity across residential areas, town centres and local neighbourhoods.”

They add that Barking and Dagenham scores “below the London average” for walking and cycling measures.

The papers say: “Increasing opportunities for active travel and reducing dependency on private vehicle use are therefore important components of improving health outcomes and creating healthier neighbourhoods.”

It aims to increase enforcement action at places such as parks and leisure centres, and to “target motorcycle and moped-related contraventions, including inappropriate parking within shopping parades, public spaces and other sensitive locations”.

Enforcement will also support the council to roll out more school streets across the borough.

These traffic management schemes stop motor vehicles from entering certain streets near schools at pick-up and drop-off times, from 8am-9:15am and 2:45pm-4pm, Monday to Friday.

There are currently school streets near 13 primary and junior schools in Barking and Dagenham.

Council plans say these play an “important role” in “improving safety and air quality around schools and encouraging active travel amongst children and families”.

They add: “The parking strategy will support the continued development and enforcement of school street schemes across the borough.”

Labour council leaders voted to endorse the parking strategy at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday (15th).

Cllr Ghani told them that it would help to improve life for people living in the borough.

He said: “This will actually benefit the residents because of safer streets, cleaner air, reduced congestion, better accessibility, and improving parking and compliance.”

The new parking strategy also includes rolling out more parking permit zones so that they cover the entire borough by 2028.

The council says this will help make sure people can park near their homes, while also reducing the amount of cars on the road and improving health and air quality.

However, councillors from all parties challenged this at a meeting to scrutinise the scheme last week, arguing that poorer people who depend on older cars would suffer.

The Reform UK opposition group wants councillors to vote in favour of pausing the rollout at a full council meeting on Wednesday (23rd).