Conversations I have had before and following the Park House planning permission suggest that the point of the Council's "permit free" policy is not widely understood.
When the Council gives planning permission to a new block of flats in an area with good transport links (such as Harlesden Town Centre) it usually does so with a permit free condition. This means that if the residents of the new block find themselves in a controlled parking zone, they will not be allowed to apply for a permit for themselves or a temporary permit for visiters.
The purose of this draconian restriction is to reduce the number of car users in a given area to make parking and traffic congestion more managable. It also has the effect of reducing air pollution. Officers believe it is linked to the measureable improvement in air quality in Brent in the past few years which should help improve life expectency. Of course, it is also linked to the reduction of carbon emissions and therefore retarding climate change.
1 comment:
Problem is, that also often penalises low paid workers. I know a number of mini cab owners who are now facing ruin as a result of this policy. They were pushed into RSL owned flats, and once a CPZ was introduced, had nowhere to park the mini cab overnight. Policy makers need to live in the real world and have real jobs, rather than being career politicians who've never worked in anything else.
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