Agenda item
REQUESTS FOR DEPUTATIONS
To receive any deputations (to be notified at the meeting).
Minutes:
The Chair indicated that a deputation would be received from residents of Gaverick Mews, on the matter of removal of LBTH parking permits. The deputation was linked to agenda item 7.1 “Car-Free Development Schemes and Parking Permit Arrangements”.
Mr Abdul Kamal, a resident of Gaverick Mews, stated that he was speaking on behalf of all parking permit holders in that location, who were complaining of injustice and maladministration due to failures of communications by the Parking Service. Some residents had been issued parking permits for up to 8 years and were now being told they could not have permits in future as the street had been designated a car-free zone under the original S106 planning agreement. Residents had not been informed of this by their Housing Association, East Thames Homes. The contract between the Housing Association and the residents confirmed that they could park on the street and LBTH had issued parking permits accordingly. It was felt that this decision had been taken as the development was social housing and residents had received a letter effectively requiring them to give up their parking rights after one final year.
In response to queries from Members, Mr Kamal indicated that:
- The residents were tenants of East Thames Homes and the contract signed by them confirmed that parking was permitted in on-street bays.
- The matter had been raised with the appropriate Housing Association officer who supported them strongly. All LBTH Members had been approached but only Councillor Tim Archer had replied.
- There would be a significant impact on residents if permits were withdrawn. There were 6-bed properties with large families on the development and none had been informed that it was a car-free zone. They would be severely affected socially and for shopping, dropping off children for school and other pursuits. One resident was a mini-cab driver who earned a living with his car. Several residents had recently bought new cars and the car-free ruling appeared to have been brought in overnight.
Councillor Marc Francis, Lead Member Housing & Development, stated that the residents’ case had been made well and he sympathised with them. He added that it was important to remind people of the reasons for the introduction of car-free zones, which had been introduced as there were now almost as many parking permits as the 20,000 parking spaces in the Borough. Issuing more permits than spaces would only lead to problems and disagreements between permit holders. At the last Council meeting the car-free policy had been refined subject to further legal advice. It would not be legally possible to ignore the S106 agreement. Responsibility for informing residents of the agreement lay with the site developers and the Housing Association, not principally with the Council. The development of Gaverick Mews had been advertised in East End Life and, if there had not been any reference to a car-free zone, the Council might also have some responsibilities. Councillor Francis had requested copies of all relevant advertisements and, if any fault was found on behalf of the Council, East Thames Homes could be invited to apply for a variation of the S106 agreement, although no guarantee on the outcome of the application could be given.
The Chair thanked Mr Kamal and 16 other residents for attending the meeting and stated that their views would be taken into account when agenda item 7.1 was being considered.