The truth about Westminster’s five miles of new double yellow lines

An open letter to Councillor Lee Rowley, Cabinet Member for Parking:

Lee,

Everybody supports double yellow lines at dropped kerbs in order to make crossing the road safer for the disabled, the elderly and parents with prams. But Westminster Council’s proposals go way beyond just protecting dropped kerbs from parked cars. It has been used as an excuse to remove 5 miles of safe, free evening parking from the West End.

The issue of dropped kerbs was first raised in July 2009 when the Council was urged to paint double yellow lines in front of dropped kerbs to remove any confusion for motorists who were given parking tickets when they had assumed that it was safe to park there as there were no double yellow lines. There was then a formal report written in April 2010, again expressing the need to put double yellow lines across dropped kerbs. The August 2011 report into West End Parking also talks of painting double yellow lines across dropped kerbs. None of these reports mentioned extending the double yellow lines to 10 metres from the junction or Section 243 of the Highway Code, which is Westminster’s recent justification for extending the double yellow lines to 10 metres.

The fact is that single yellow lines were first introduced in the West End by Westminster in the 1950’s. All of those which were dangerous or a threat to safety at junctions would have been removed by the Council and converted to double yellow lines over the years. The Council say that they had very few comments on the proposal to convert 5 miles of single yellow lines to double yellow lines.

Westminster Labour urges Harrow Road residents to comment on Crossrail lorry plans

Labour Harrow Road Councillors and GLA member Murad Qureshi have urged residents to make their views known on the proposal by Crossrail to allow up to 70 lorries per day to travel along Harrow Road and right onto Great Western Road, W9.

Councillors say that this proposal will have a devastating impact on the area and on other parts of London for the following reasons:

* The area is surrounded by a number of schools and 2 Academies most of whose pupils live in the area. The proposal poses a real threat to the safety of children and local people.

* The pollution caused by such a high volume of heavy lorries will seriously impact on the health of local people. Harrow Road is one of the deprived areas in the City and part of that deprivation is caused by poor health.

* Local businesses will be seriously affected by this proposal. Many of the businesses in Harrow Road are independents and rely on that outlet for their living. Many of their customers will avoid the area when there is a large movement of heavy vehicles.

* Harrow Road is a main route into Westminster. This will become congested by this level of heavy vehicles.

* Bus timetables will be adversely affected. The bus routes that will be affected are: 28, 31, 328, 18, 36, 32 and the 23 that has the Westbourne Bus Garage as a terminus.

Labour calls for Westminster Council Leader to go

Westminster’s Labour councillors today called on the Conservative Leader of the Council to step down in an open letter, reproduced below.

Open Letter to Councillor Colin Barrow

Dear Colin

The general public reaction of residents and businesses to your decision to announce the latest West End parking changes at 3.30pm on Friday 23rd December has thrown into question whether the Council any longer enjoys the trust and confidence of the vast majority of people who live and work in the West End. Without that trust and confidence the Council can have no legitimate basis for taking decisions that affect the lives, jobs, businesses and careers of hundreds of thousands of people.

Despite your warm words promising to ‘listen’ to people following the High Court decision on 14th December, a mere 9 days later you do a complete about-turn and announce that you are going ahead with part of the plans so roundly condemned by Mr Justice Collins. Local residents and businesses feel they are being treated like fools by an arrogant Council that has no conception of the legitimate concerns and outrage that your parking proposals have provoked.

Moreover, the Council’s reaction is to portray everyone who disagrees with any aspect of the parking proposals as either misguided, stupid, self-interested or politically motivated. Your reaction to the unprecedented coalition of opposition to your West End parking plans can be summarised as “Westminster Council is right about everything all of the time, while everyone else, no matter who they are or the experience they have, is totally wrong on every aspect of their opposition”.

Your decision to ‘bury the bad news’ on 23rd December was a disgrace.

Westminster Labour congratulates record council electoral registration rate

But new Government rules could slash nearly 14,500 residents from the electoral register.

Westminster Labour Councillors have congratulated the Council’s Electoral Registration Service for achieving a return rate of 91.21%, the highest ever achieved, and the first time that a return rate of over 90% has been reached. The Westminster electorate in December 2011 was 144,076, based on a return from 121,359 of properties canvassed.

However, Labour says that independent academic research submitted as evidence to The Political and Constitutional Reform Select Committee shows that the Government’s plans that will make it purely voluntary to register to vote and a requirement for residents to register individually rather than by household, are likely to reduce significantly the number of citizens on the electoral register by about 10%. This could cut almost 14,500 voters from the Westminster electoral register when the new rules come in to force.

The Council say that all properties from which a response has to date not been received will have already received a minimum of three electoral registration forms and two personal visits from door to door canvassers. Over 80 canvassers were employed during the course of the canvass. Other records held by the authority were also checked. The re-registration by telephone, internet or text facility was made available until a few days before publication of the Register. Rolling registration has resumed, so there will continue to be a significant number of changes to the Register in future months, particularly in January and February.

Westminster undercounts axed number of West End parking places by nearly 7,000

Westminster Council has admitted that it has dramatically undercounted the number of West End single yellow lines that will be axed, with the result that 8,463 free West End parking places will be lost if the Council’s evening and Sunday parking charge proposals go ahead – 6,744 more than the original 1,719 figure given to Councillors.

On 26th September 2011, the Council’s Strategic Director for the Built Environment, Rosemarie MacQueen told Councillors that 1,719 free parking spaces on single yellow lines would be lost in the West End if the evening and Sunday parking charges were introduced. But on 23rd December 2011, the Council’s Commissioner for Transport, Martin Low, admitted that the figure is 8,463 – five times more than the original figure.

In an email to Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Mr Low says;
“This was due to an administrative error that has been confirmed from the recent work reviewing the single yellow lines and considering their conversion to double yellow lines. Buchanan SKM undertook further work after you were given that estimate earlier this year to provide a better assessment of the potential spaces available on single yellow lines and those that would be lost through conversion to double yellow lines”

Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Leader of the Labour Group, said; “These figures are truly shocking and highlight the huge damage that the Council’s parking charges will do to the West End economy and to the jobs of thousands of West End night time economy workers. The fact that the Council could have got these figures so very wrong must surely further undermine the Council’s flimsy case. The previous figures were not even checked before they were given to Councillors and this demonstrates the very slapdash way in which the Council has conducted the parking review. The Council should scrap its parking charge plans before it further undermines confidence in the West End and in the Council itself.

Westminster Council axe 1,200 West End single yellow line parking spaces

* Westminster Council to axe 1,200 West End single yellow line parking spaces in defiance of High Court order, in last minute ‘christmas present’ to west end visitors, residents and businesses and their staff.

* Council promises to ‘listen’ to West End residents and businesses and their staff turn out to be bogus.

Westminster Council has this afternoon announced that it has decided to convert 1,191 single yellow line parking spaces in the West End to double yellow lines in January, thereby making it illegal to park at any time. The announcement, made at 3.30pm on 23rd December, comes just a week after the High Court ordered Westminster to halt plans to impose evening and Sunday parking charges in the West End on 9th January until the Judicial Review was heard in March. The High Court judgment specifically criticised the Council’s consultations and made it clear that the new parking charges would damage businesses and their employees. Westminster Council subsequently announced that it would ‘listen’ to West End residents, business and their staff and would not introduce the new charges until September 2012, after the Olympic Games. Now, those promises have turned out to be totally worthless.

The permanent loss of the 1,200 West End parking spaces will force many West End evening visitors and people working in West End theatres, restaurants, clubs, casinos to pay up to £20 a night to park on a parking meter bay or car park, thereby adding to the cost of visiting or working in the West End. A reserch study undertaken by the Centre for Economics and Business Research concluded that the Council’s parking charges, which would raise the Council an extra £7 million a year, could cost businesses up to £800 million and threaten 5,100 jobs.

Westminster Labour urges action on foxes

Labour Councillors are urging Westminster Council to protect residents, their children and their pets from the growing number of foxes roaming the streets and living in back gardens in the Queen’s Park and St John’s Wood areas of Westminster, and have started a petition on the Council’s website.

The petition reads:
“We the undersigned petition Westminster City Council to take action to protect residents and their children and pets from foxes which are becoming an increasing menace in many parts of Westminster, including the Queen’s Park and St John’s Wood areas.”

Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Leader of the Labour Group, said; “Because of the continued messages from residents we have been receiving about foxes and the reluctance of the Council to take any action, we have started a petition on the Council’s website. Over the past few months an increasing number of residents have been experiencing difficulties with foxes which are making life difficult, particularly for those residents with young children and pets. Some residents are unable to let their children play unattended in the garden or to allow their pet dogs to exercise for fear that they may be attacked. The Council’s standard response is that nothing can be done because foxes are not classed as ‘pests’. But this simply is not good enough and the Council needs to address this problem before children or pets are harmed.”

Westminster Labour launch new petition to finally stop new West End parking charges

Labour Westminster Councillors have launched a new petition to stop West End evening and Sunday parking charges for good, following the Council’s announcement that it will introduce the new charges in September 2012, after the Olympics.

The petition, on the Westminster Council website, is;
“We the undersigned petition Westminster City Council to stop the plans to introduce the Evening and Sunday parking charges in the West End in September 2012 after the Olympics are over because of the huge damage that this will do to the West End economy, including the loss of over 5,000 jobs.”

The Council has been ordered by the High Court not to introduce evening and Sunday parking charges in the West End on 9 January and to wait until the Judicial Review has been heard in March. The Council has since said that the charges will start in September, after the 2012 Olympics are over. Labour Councillors say that introducing the charges in September 2012 only delays the damage to the West End economy and the threat to over 5,000 jobs.

Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Leader of the Labour Group, said; “Council Leader Colin Barrow says that ‘we have to keep listening to public concerns’ on West End evening and Sunday parking charges. But, so far, the only person he has listened to is High Court judge Mr Justice Collins who ordered the Council not to go ahead with the charges in January. I am afraid that Councillor Barrow simply does not get it. He is still planning to introduce charges in September after the Olympics are over.

High Court orders Westminster to halt plans for new West End parking charges

Labour Councillors have welcomed the High Court decision to order Westminster City Council to halt plans to introduce West End evening and Sunday parking charges on 9 January until the Judicial Review application brought by Mayfair businessman Peter Wetherell is heard in March.

In a scathing decision, the Honourable Mr Justice Collins highlighted ‘substantial damage to businesses and churches’ and ‘far too limited’ consultation as reasons why the Council should not be allowed to introduce the new charges until the Judicial Review has been heard.

Mr Justice Collins said; “There is a real risk of substantial damage to businesses and churches if it goes ahead” and

“The consultation was arguably far too limited… and there was an overall disapproval (save for residents) on the basis of the damage to night/Sunday businesses in the employees’ access difficulties.”

Labour Councillors have called for the Council to heed the Judge’s comments and to scrap the West End parking charges without further delay.

Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Leader of the Labour Group, said; “The High Court has ordered Westminster to halt its plans, and for very good reason. Over 95% of people are opposed to this damaging parking proposal and the Council should now have the common sense to stop before it does any further damage to businesses, residents and churches.

West End anti-parking charge petitions top 15,000 signatures

Over 15,600 West End workers, residents and church goers have signed the four petitions currently in circulation, with new signatures being added every day. Also, West End Conservative Councillor Glenys Roberts has repeated her opposition to the Council’s Evening and Sunday parking charges, in the Daily Mail.

In addition, Westminster Council has received 973 written submissions to its request for comments on the plans to introduce evening and Sunday parking charges of up to £4.80p an hour from 9 January 2012.

The proposals are estimated to lead to the loss of over 5,000 West End jobs, according to independent economic forecaster CEBR in a report commissioned by West Endings and launched recently;

Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Leader of the Labour Group, said; “The massive opposition to Westminster’s ‘nightlife tax’ is growing on a daily basis. The scale of job losses that could result will be a disaster for the West End and for the wider London economy. Westminster ‘job destruction parking charges’ cannot be allowed to threaten 5,000 West End workers. This is one of the very rare occasions when ordinary residents and politicians from all political parties are united in their opposition. What does it take to make Westminster Conservatives to wake up to their folly?”