Pressure from Haringey Liberal Democrats has secured a promise from top Labour councillors that more consultation will be carried out on the proposed review of parking charges in Haringey.

The Liberal Democrats have criticised Labour’s inadequate consultation plans and the Council’s Executive has now agreed that the statutory consultation period should be extended to six weeks and that all Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs) areas, old, new and proposed, will be leafleted to make residents aware.

Lib Dems have poured scorn on Labour claims that there has been a significant level of consultation already, as the issue of differential permit charges has been in the public domain since the development of the draft Local Implementation Plan [LiP] in 2005. However, this turns out to be just one paragraph within a two-volume document of around 400 pages.

Lib Dems are saying that this makes a mockery of consulting residents.A recent Labour press release also shows that Labour still are not involving people fully – providing only a postal address for residents to respond to and no real details of the extended consultation process.

Cllr Neil Williams, Leader of the Opposition, comments:

“Lib Dems have continued to pressurise Labour on this issue and have succeeded in ensuring residents are more widely consulted. This is a small improvement. However, we remain concerned that sufficient time is allowed to properly analyse residents’ views – Labour’s current consultation strategy allows just one day to consider the responses.”

Cllr Martin Newton, Transport spokesperson, adds:

“A longer period of consultation is welcome, but this must be a meaningful process with residents’ views given real weight. Any changes and improvements that evolve out of this consultation must be given sufficient time to be properly formulated.”