New parking measures in the Kent Gardens area would benefit the community, it has been claimed, but the council remain under fire for a policy change during consultation.

Traders in Pitshanger Lane said earlier this month they feared the loss of business if CPZs (Controlled Parking Zones) are introduced.

It is claimed the zones could force day-long parking on to Pitshanger Lane and adjoining roads, reducing available spaces for customers.

Some residents have rejected fears the lane, which won 'London's best high street' in 2015 , will become desolate and instead claim CPZs would benefit the community.

Resident, Howard Levy, believes the introduction of a CPZ in Castlebar Park, where he has lived for 13 years and is part of the Kent Gardens "outer area", would increase spaces for shoppers.

Mr Levy, a retired finance worker, said: "I can see first-hand who parks in my road and by 8am both sides of our road are full of cars having been largely empty overnight.

"These cars are there till 5pm or later.

"At the moment there is very little room for shoppers in Pitshanger Lane to park here and it is a rare sight that I see someone finding a space during the day and walking in that direction.

"With a CPZ in our road alone there will be 40 or more spaces available for shoppers for seven of the nine hours between 8am and 5pm, plus possibly another 100 plus similar spaces along the other roads such as Kent Gardens, Kent Avenue, Victoria Road and Cleveland Road".

Pitshanger Lane was voted 'London's best high street' last year

Statutory consultation on CPZs for the Kent Gardens area began on December 2, and is set to close on December 23.

Questions have been raised as to why the Labour Ealing Council pressed ahead with statutory consultation, after a 50/50 split vote following a consultation which quizzed residents in the "core area."

Letters sent to residents said the council would not advance without a majority.

But the council changed its policy during the consultation at a meeting on June 15, allowing it to advance to statutory consultation with a 50/50 vote.

Conservative Cllr Greg Stafford, who used to represent the Cleveland ward before the Hanger Hill ward, said: "I think it's truly bizarre that a council feel it can change a policy through the middle of consultation.

"It is against natural justice, people are responding to one set of criteria, then being told at the end it is a different criteria.

"It should have been based on the original policy, or they should have re-consulted so everyone knows the rules of the game".

Pitshanger Lane was crowned 'London's Best HIgh Street' (Left) John Martin, chairman of Pitshanger Village Traders Association, Mayor of Ealing, Councillor Dr Patricia Walker and (Right) Minister for Local Government, Marcus Jones MP

CPZ zones are also proposed in Pitshanger Lane, with Pitshanger South to be consulted in 2017/18 and Pitshanger North in 2018/19.

The proposed CPZ would be in operation two hours a day, one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon.

A council spokesman said: “As the responses to the consultation were evenly divided, and concerns have been expressed about the change in policy in the middle of the consultation process, we have decided to proceed with a statutory consultation to give residents another opportunity to express their views.

"As part of that process we have written to all the residents originally consulted to ensure that we have everyone’s feedback before making a decision.”

The consultation closes towards the end of the month

Commenting on Mr Levy's claim Pitshanger Lane would benefit from CPZs, owner of Body and Sole in Pitshanger Lane, Anne O'Malley, said: "It (CPZs) is not going to help, you're putting certain times when people can't park at all.

"If someone wants to come down and do something then they will go somewhere else. It is shifting the problem, it is not solving it".

Comments on the CPZs can be sent via email to highwayservices@ealing.gov.uk.

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