Wanstead people must be given the full options over local parking – including not to go ahead with any scheme Dear petition supporters, Make no mistake, Redbridge Council is still waiting to roll out the Wanstead parking scheme. The vital difference is that we have won our demand for consultation. With your support, we were able to present a total of 3,584 signatures to Full Council on 19th January. Though we achieved what we initially set out to do, we need to be prepared to act again in the near future. Because of the opinions you've expressed, we need to ensure that the option not to go ahead with a parking scheme in Wanstead is included in the full consultation. As the signatures rapidly accumulated, Redbridge Council leader Jas Athwal turned up to a public meeting about the parking on Friday Jan 13th and promised to "stop" the scheme, due to start in February. He said there would be a "gold standard" consultation. But Cabinet member Cllr John Howard, responsible for pushing the restrictions, still speaks about introducing "the scheme" in May or June. It's vital that the council rips up its old scheme and starts again by paying attention to the views of local residents. From your petition comments, from residents speaking out at the public meetings, and from other feedback, the scheme is overwhelmingly considered unnecessary, undesirable, deeply damaging or even dangerous. Local residents need to be asked if they want restrictions in their own roads. (If the majority in a road do, naturally the impact on businesses and other community services need to be taken into account.) Residents as well as businesses need to be asked if they believe there is any need for parking fees on the local high street, and what affect their introduction would have on businesses and the many events that take place at present in and around the high street. Let's be sure that the "gold standard" consultation is delivered and that we all have a say. Wewantsay members (including petition initiator Donna Mizzi) Twitter handle - @WeWantSay Twitter hashtag - #WeWantSay