Harlow Council’s Labour Leader Mark Ingall today announced a rolling programme of improvements to parking provision on Harlow’s many congested estates.

Speaking in the lead up to this Thursday’s local elections Councillor Ingall said: “Parking is without question the biggest local issue people are raising with us on the doorsteps. It is a major frustration in many people’s busy, daily lives and we are committed to taking steps to address it.

“We have earmarked funds from our environmental improvement fund to deliver small scale parking solutions to some of our worst affected estates.

“When Harlow was designed, most households did not possess a car and that was reflected in parking provision which was in fact generous at that time.

“Today, with inadequate public transport provision thanks to the Tory government’s commitment to privatization and a housing crisis which is seeing young people living in the family home well into their 20s, many homes have two, three, even four cars and this is causing havoc on many of our estates.”

The rolling programme will include some ‘quick wins’ such as re-marking areas to optimize the number of parking spaces available and more substantial ground works to create new schemes in areas which are currently paved.
Cllr Ingall said: “It is not intended that we lose green spaces or that we create ‘concrete’ jungles’. Rather, we are adapting spaces which very obviously lend themselves to this use.

“With this in mind, I would invite residents to call Contact Harlow with their suggestions for such schemes and they will be given due consideration.

“We won’t be able to completely solve the parking problem in Harlow – that will require national decisions and investment in public transport – but we will certainly ease problems on some of our estates over the coming years.

An example of the sort of scheme that could be completed under this new programme is the new parking created for residents of Pottersfield in Harlow Common.

Ward councillor and Portfolio Holder for Housing, Mark Wilkinson said today: “The new scheme in Pottersfield has created new spaces which were sorely needed. Residents have told me that this has eased congestion without detracting from the local environment.

“I am very pleased that our Labour administration is making parking across the town a priority over the coming years and carving out funds where it can to fund such schemes.”