A major review of parking across Newham has been launched, but two key Labour election pledges remain absent from the plans for now.
Newham Council’s cabinet approved the launch of a borough-wide “parking and kerbside space review” on 21 July, aimed at examining how parking rules, charges and road space are currently managed and whether changes are needed.
The review will assess issues including parking supply and demand, controlled parking zones, charging structures, enforcement, town centre parking and customer experience.
Labour cllr Susan Masters, who oversees parking, said the review was needed because Newham had undergone significant change in recent years.
She said: “Since our current policies were developed we’ve seen significant changes across Newham such as population growth, major regeneration, evolving traffic patterns and increasing demand for our kerbside space. Alongside this there is a growing focus on air quality, sustainability and the needs of our vibrant, modern and diverse communities.”
The review will also examine future growth, electric vehicle use, demand for cycle hangars and the long-term management of kerbside space.
However, two headline pledges made by Labour during this year’s local election campaign have not been included in the review. The party promised to introduce a free first parking permit for every household and one hour of free parking for Newham residents across the borough.
Earlier this month, Cllr Masters said the commitments could not currently form part of the review because they were subject to separate legal guidance. She also stopped short of confirming whether the proposals could conflict with transport policies set by London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan. When questioned by residents, she said only that the council would “take into account all relevant and material considerations”.
Councillors responsible for scrutinising the review recommended that both pledges be incorporated into the process.
But cabinet members opted to delay a decision, saying they would “defer” their response to allow further due diligence to take place.
Despite the delay, Cllr Masters insisted the commitments remained council policy. She said the free permit and free parking schemes “remain commitments of this administration and are being processed through the appropriate governance processes”.
Mayor of Newham Forhad Hussain said further details would be announced in due course.
He told the meeting: “This is an important priority for our residents. I know people are talking about the first parking permit, and we are looking forward to those announcements coming soon in line with the appropriate legal requirements.”
