Liberal Democrats rectify Labour-era parking mismanagement

6.26.07pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 14th Jul 2005

The last Labour administration's parking policies provide a classic example of the sort of conduct that causes grave concern to residents. Liberal Democrats have been working hard since 2002 to rectify this past mismanagement.

In contrast to their current pose, the last Labour administration, when considering extending the parking contract on 20th May 1998, resolved: "That the new contract contains minimum income guarantees for the Council" and "That the new contract specifies performance criteria, such as issues of PCNs."

The extension to the contract Labour negotiated in 1998 explicitly demanded "guaranteed net cash income of £10 million to the Council from 1998-99 onwards," with "any generated income over £10 million to be shared equally between the existing contractor and the Council."

Lambeth residents only avoided parking enforcement involving such huge financial incentives through the incompetence of Labour in failing to formalise the agreement! Nonetheless, Labour councillors decided at a meeting on 4th August 1999, that the incentive element of the new contract should now be "more legally watertight".

Liberal Democrats have been working hard since 2002 to rectify this. Lib Dems supported the setting up the all-party Controlled Parking Commission, the first London borough to do so.

As a result, daily maintenance checks take place for parking meter/pay & display machines; more staff deal with appeals and complaints; worn or unclear signs and road markings are being improved; night-time and weekend enforcement and the enforcement of meter feeding is being relaxed; more short-term free parking bays to support local businesses created, and redesigned visitors' permit issued.