Roamer has few friends

Published: 18 February, 2011

• COUNCILLOR Paul Smith, Islington Council’s executive member for the environment, is on record as claiming that residents’ “roamer” parking has received overwhelming support. We would like to see the evidence for this, not least because, at the January meeting of the executive, officers reported that out of 313 responses to the consultation on the proposed parking changes, only eight  were supportive. 

 The vast majority of letters in the local press have been entirely hostile to the idea. Twenty questions about the parking changes in general have been tabled for this week’s council meeting, with not one having anything positive to say about the Roamer. So where are Cllr Smith’s data?

We have seen copies of more than 90 responses to the second consultation, which ended last Friday. Every one of these is opposed to the Roamer, and nearly all object to the issuing of unlimited parking vouchers.

Most residents, having experienced the benefits of sustainable transport policies, supported by administrations over many years, do not want to see them abandoned for the sake of unprincipled political gain.

It’s time for councillors to wake up and smell the coffee – and hopefully not (as Councillor Catherine West would no doubt suggest) by driving to Upper Street to do so.

NICK JACK, CAROLINE RUSSELL AND JOHN ACKERS
Stop the Roamer
Axminster Road, N7