‘Unlimited visitor parking vouchers will lead to glut of commuters’
Published: 14th January, 2011
by PETER GRUNER
A NEW row over Islington’s controversial parking policy blew up this week over claims that Islington will be "swamped" by commuters from outside the borough.
For the first time, the Labour-controlled council will allow Islington’s residential permit holders unlimited numbers of visitor parking vouchers for friends and family from outside the borough.
Under the previous Lib Dem administration, visitors were only allowed up to 12 vouchers a year. But Junction ward Lib Dem councillor Arthur Graves warned that unlimited vouchers was a scheme that was open to abuse.
“What is stopping permit holders offering vouchers to friends or family or anyone for that matter on a more regular basis?” he said. “With unlimited vouchers, people from outside the borough could commute to Islington. For as little as £2.20 a day or £11 a week, the price of vouchers, they’ve got the cheapest parking in London. As always, the council haven’t thought this through.”
However, Labour councillor Paul Smith, executive member for environment, said that residents wanted the opportunity to invite more family and friends to visit by car. “We are simply responding to what residents want,” he added. “The scheme will be monitored to stop it being abused.”
The row follows concern over the council’s new “Roamer” policy reported last week, which allows permit holders the opportunity to park in other residential parking bays in the borough. Annual fees for parking bays have also increased and doubled in some cases according to size of engine and emissions.
• A public meeting about the new parking policy is being held by the Lib Dems at St John’s Upper Holloway C of E Primary School, Main Hall, on Thursday January 27, from 7pm.