Motorists could lose free parking as council eliminates crucial benefit - 'At war with drivers!'

The proposal will see the council update its pay-to-park arrangements to remove the free one-hour parking slot between 1pm and 2pm.

Currently, most parking bays in Waltham Forest charge between the hours of 10am to 1pm and then again between 2pm to 4pm, with an hour of free parking available during the week.

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But as the council looks to create more sustainable ways of travel, it will change the operating hours for the parking.

The new parking hours could now be changed to 8am to 6.30pm Monday to Sunday, which the local authority explained would bring it more in line with the rest of London.

On top of removing the one hour of free parking, drivers will also no longer be able to have 15 minutes of free parking in any pay-to-park bay.

Councillor Clyde Loakes, said: “Our current pay-to-park model is not only significantly out of kilter with what our neighbouring boroughs offer, but also inadvertently promotes short distance car journeys, that for most can be easily walked, cycled and wheeled.”

He explained that any additional income generated from the proposed changes will be invested in highway improvements and essential road repairs.

Loakes, who represents the Leytonstone Ward for Labour, added: “The proposed changes will bring us more in line with our neighbouring boroughs and the majority of London, further support our efforts to improve air quality and encourage more active travel.

“As we know from TfL research, shoppers arriving by foot, bike, bus or other active and sustainable transport modes to local shops and town centres spend more money than those arriving by car.”

The parking proposal was raised at a recent cabinet meeting with the council now opening a consultation to give residents and businesses the opportunity to share their views before any final decisions are made.

Loakes added: “We’ve been incredibly successful in promoting active travel and reducing the number of journeys made by motorised vehicles.

“However, if we are to continue to be a pioneer and show leadership on this important agenda then we must continue to better coordinate our wider policies.

“Waltham Forest, like the majority of councils across the country, is facing significant financial challenges.”

He detailed how any additional funding generated from the proposed changes will help be fed back into the borough and used for road repairs.

But the move has not been fully supported by drivers who accused the council of being “at war” with motorists.

One person shared on Facebook: “There is already limited parking that is poorly managed by LBWF e.g. non blue badge holders in disabled bays, this change won’t help local businesses as no one will be able to pop to local shops but will end up at large supermarkets with free parking.

“This council is at war with car drivers. Always cashing out from us!”

In response to the removal of the free 15-minute parking, Iain Duncan Smith MP for Chingford and Woodford Green launched a petition.

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The Conservative MP said: “I have been fighting this decision because I know that our high streets rely on the flow of local shoppers and these changes will hit shopkeepers financially.

“We’ve done it before – when they tried to scrap 15-minute free parking last time, we stopped them. Let’s protect our high streets again – sign our petition.”