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Anyone who suffers in or observes the evening traffic bottleneck
at the bottom of Church Street understands that traffic is a real problem around here.
This is an issue which affects not only drivers and their passengers but also the
residents, shops, users of public transport and the local environment. The knock-on
effects of parking problems are considerable, even in Hackney, which has the lowest car
ownership of any London borough. Two-thirds of its households do not possess a car.
 So Hackney Council's consultations on
the 'Proposed Controlled Parking Zone "E" in the Stoke Newington Area' should be
taken seriously. The Council proposes to introduce parking fees at £40 a year for
residents and £150 for businesses, locate Pay and Display meters for visitors from
outside the area, and enforce these restrictions from 8.30 am to 8 pm Monday to Saturday.
The consultation process was endorsed in July 1998 by the Stoke Newington, Stamford Hill
and Clapton Neighbourhood Committees, open to public participation.
The scheme has provoked considerable controversy. After a random but wide-ranging sample
of opinion in two pubs and the Stokey Food Stores we were unable to find anyone in favour
of the proposals. We also met a man with a petition and no shortage of people willing to
sign the protest. What's all the fuss about? Some of the objections are as follows:
Why should residents and businesses pay for what was previously free? Is
Hackney Council simply looking for a nice little earner to fill its depleted coffers?
Some businesses in Church Street have struggled to survive. They believe
that more restrictions there are already single yellow lines would drive customers towards
the supermarkets or big shopping centres.
Many of the elderly or people with mobility problems depend on their
cars to get around. Public transport is not sufficiently good to compensate. Personal
safety after dark is also an issue.
How many wardens will be needed to enforce the new system? Will they be
the over-zealous type, paid by the number of parking tickets issued
However, there are some sound arguments in favour of the proposal:
The 'gentrification' of the area in the last few years has led to an
increase in the number of car owners, with a corresponding squeeze on parking space.
Linked with this, established residents complain that newcomers are
taking 'their' street parking places. Some Councils are trying to meet this objection by
insisting that certain new housing developments should not contain parking spaces except
for people with disabilities. Going further, they refuse street parking permits to these
new residents, thus reducing cars in the area. This policy requires a Controlled Parking
Zone.
People eating in the Church Street restaurants, with their parked cars
blocking the late evening traffic, have a clear view of the frustrated passengers on the
motionless buses. However, to be effective, surely the period should end at midnight
rather than 8 pm.
These considerations highlight the many and often conflicting interests.
Are they irreconcilable? Nimby (not in my backyard) is sometimes evident in its various
forms.
In the interests of fairness, we asked the Council for their views on this
complicated and thorny question. Zak Aktas, its spokesperson, was helpful. He emphasised
the fundamental point that all councils have a statutory duty under the Roads Traffic
Reduction Act 1997 to reduce traffic rather than build new roads. Central government
provides the funds for safety measures such as road bumps and can refuse to pay if the
Council fails to meet its requirements.
The second main principle is that parking restrictions reduce traffic into an area. People
making a decision on how to travel will think twice about using their car if there is
difficulty in finding space to park at the end of their journey.
 Residents have complained that delivery vehicles have to double-park, blocking
traffic and visibility at road junctions, causing danger to pedestrians crossing the road,
particularly the elderly, children and the disabled. Part of the new proposals would
include single yellow lines of at least 10 metres back from junctions. The worst parts are
around Church Street, the High Street and the Green Lanes area during Arsenal home
matches. Zak said that 2-hour meters would discourage people from outside the area using
the parking bays on match days.
Any money generated would have to go towards the parking enforcement budget, not into the
general Council 'pot'. Similar zones operate around Dalston, the Town Hall and Shoreditch.
The residents' permits are being standardised at £40 a year. The price of parking would
probably be 60p per hour and there would be 2-hour and 4-hour meters. The number of
wardens would be depend on the eventual size of the controlled zone.
Crucially, he said that the scheme could be varied in different areas within the zone. The
Council is quite prepared to be flexible. For instance, short-term metered parking on
Church Street limited to 20/30 minutes might be free during the day to allow shopping.
Night-time restrictions could be extended past 8 pm in the restaurant and club areas. The
tough option of 24-hour meters could even be considered. The proposed scheme could be
shrunk to eliminate those streets where the residents say there is no problem.
The outcome depends on the feedback from the questionnaires and Neighbourhood Committee
meetings. The responses will be analysed and assessed by Council officers in April. A
final decision will be taken by those Councillors who attended the relevant Neighbourhood
Committees. Hopefully, they will manage to please at least some of the people some of the
time.
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