The public meeting last night (Friday, Jan 13th) at the huge "Scout Hut" was an overwhelming turnout with the hall filled to capacity. The meeting was declared non-partisan by the councillors and with the unexpected attendance of the Leader of the Council, Cllr Jas Athwal, members of the community took opportunity to directly ask questions, making it very clear the proposed experimental parking scheme is not wanted in its current form. Members of our @WeWantSay (WWS) Action Group were also in full attendance and made representations, with Cllr Athwal acknowledging that the speeches we made at Cabinet earlier in the week had forced him to reconsider and reverse the council's plan. As such, Cllr Athwal confirmed the scheme has now been stopped, and a full & detailed consultation will take place with the community to work up a scheme that works for everyone. Members of the WWS Action Group have been campaigning on this issue and engaging with the council since the scheme was announced on 5th December, collecting signatures for a petition, preparing deputations for Full Council, speaking at committee meetings, lobbying MP/Cllrs, and exchanging correspondence directly with Cllr Athwal on the matter leading to this welcome outcome, setting out our expectations to the Council for next steps. We're now planning forward accordingly and have called upon all ward councillors from Snaresbrook & Wanstead wards to work together and with us towards the best outcome for all concerned within the community. You can follow further updates and developments at our @WeWantSay Twitter account. We will also be publishing the transcript from my speech last Tuesday on our Twitter page to share with all. Thank you to all those who have been directly and indirectly supporting us on this campaign. Mr F Mohammed, Wanstead Resident & on behalf of @WeWantSay Action Group