Havering: 'Investigation' as council hikes parking permit fees

Senior council leaders have launched “an investigation” into the price hikes, even though council records show they signed it off.

“It’s ludicrous,” one Havering Road resident told the Recorder.

“I can’t quite get my head around how anyone could think that doubling the prices is acceptable, especially in the current financial climate.”

Residents didn’t find out about the price hikes until they had to renew their permits.

Deputy council leader Gillian Ford said: “It’s not quite as clear-cut as it’s being portrayed. There’s an investigation taking place.”

She would only say that the investigation was into “different figures” being presented at different meetings.

Online records say the price hike was presented to the council’s cabinet and approved.

Conservative councillor and London Assembly member Keith Prince said his group felt “conned”.

The council's website shows a £5 price hike was presented to a cross-party scrutiny panel.

But the very next day, the cabinet approved a £35 increase instead.

“It’s either incompetence because they didn’t know it was happening or deceit because they did,” said Cllr Prince.

Residents in Sheringham Avenue do not have driveways, so are forced to buy the council permits (Image: Charles Thomson)

“Disgusting”

Lorraine Sinfield has lived in Sheringham Avenue for 43 years.

The houses were built a century ago and do not have driveways, she said. Residents with cars have no choice but to pay for the council’s parking permits.

Those were £35 for a year. They are now £70.

“We knew nothing about it,” said Lorraine. “We were definitely not consulted.”

According to her sister Lesley Coombes, who lives next-door-but-one, they weren't told after the fact either.

“It’s terrible,” Lesley said. “Nobody put a letter through our doors.

“I haven’t had a pay rise in four years. My partner is on minimum wage. It makes things tight, what with everything else going up as well. It’s absolutely disgusting.”

“I’m going to struggle,” agreed their neighbour, railway worker Indra Bindere. “I’m furious. My wages haven’t increased for the last three years.

“It’s absolutely shocking. You would expect a normal increase – maybe two, three, five per cent. But not double.”

Residents are unable to park outside their own homes without council permits - but the cost has been doubled without consultation (Image: Charles Thomson)

'Investigation'

When residents approached Conservative councillor David Taylor for help, he was baffled.

He had been in an overview and scrutiny committee meeting on February 7, where members discussed raising the price of a first car from £35 to £40, a second car from £60 to £80, and a third car from £85 to £120.

The next he heard, residents were being charged £70 for a first car, £140 for a second and £210 for a third.

When he questioned senior members of the Labour and the Havering Residents Association administration, he claimed they said they would “investigate”.

Cllr Ford has since reiterated on Facebook that once questions were raised, “we instigated an investigation. Details will be provided in due course.”

Cabinet

Cllr Taylor has since discovered that at a February 8 cabinet meeting, one day after the scrutiny meeting he sat in, an addendum document was put before councillors with the new, higher prices.

It was added to the cabinet agenda "with the agreement of the chairman" - council leader Ray Morgon. 

The Recorder approached Cllr Morgon for comment but he did not respond.

Residents said they were upset and angry that the charges were suddenly doubled. They are being supported by Conservative councillors (Image: Charles Thomson)

Cabinet members were asked to agree the agenda item, including that addendum.

Minutes and a webcast of the meeting show they did so without discussing it.

“I don’t know what they’re investigating,” said Cllr Taylor. “I’ve repeatedly asked and they won’t answer. We now know these new prices were put before the cabinet and agreed.”

Cllr Prince said that such an addendum should not have even been put before the cabinet unless the relevant cabinet member – Barry Mugglestone – had approved it first.

The Recorder contacted Cllr Mugglestone for comment but he did not respond.

What next?

“They’ve messed up big time and we are having to pay for it,” said Lesley. “It’s totally and utterly wrong. It’s not our fault.”

Tim Ryan, Conservative ward councillor for Rush Green and Crowlands, said: “We will fight tooth and nail to reverse this. It isn’t fair on residents, especially not with all the other price rises going on.”

“These figures are not what we discussed at overview and scrutiny,” said Cllr Taylor.

“In my view, everybody should be given immediate refunds and this should, at the very least, come back to overview and scrutiny.”

Havering Council was approached for comment.