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Town Hall leader James Kempton and Lucy Watt with Suffragettes and Citizen Smith actors (Sarah Brown, Verity-Rae Martin, Matthew Jones and Gwyn Jones) |
Poor drivers to subsidise the rich
Loophole could see estate residents pay more to park after referendum
MOTORISTS living on council estates – some of the poorest in Islington – could soon subsidise the rest of the borough’s drivers.
The news comes as Islington Council encourages people to vote in a referendum for a sliding scale of parking charges, with higher parking charges for people driving cars that pollute more.
But a loophole in council bylaws means that, if the referendum is passed, the new sliding scale of charges will not apply to council estates.
A ‘yes’ vote in the borough-wide ballot, which is costing £90,000, would mean that someone driving a Toyota Prius – the most fuel-efficient kind of car – but living on an estate will pay six times more than a motorist living in a street property.
This works out at £35 on the street instead of £195 on estates.
Because estate parking is managed by Homes for Islington, the private company that manages the borough’s housing stock, road parking laws do not apply. One leading critic of the plans called them as “absolute robbery”.
Town Hall leader James Kempton said: “People on estates are getting a vote but (the referendum) doesn’t apply to estate parking permits.
“If we get a positive vote then we will be speaking to Homes for Islington about how we can change the system on estates.
“(But) I’m not presuming we are going to win. If I was going to be making that presumption then we wouldn’t be having a referendum.
“This is an example of us listening – in practice.
“Most people on council estates are on low incomes and I don’t want to drive cars off the streets of Islington, I want them to use them less.”
Councillor Kempton added estate parking was “different” because drivers are guaranteed a space.
One opposition Labour councillor, James Murray, calculated that whereas the average Islington income is £44,000, on estates it is £6,000.
He said: “We support green charges as long as they are fair.
“This proposal will cut charges on the street but keep the estates at a very high level.
“Someone driving a Toyota Prius will be charged six times as much if they live on an estate.”
John Ackers, from Islington Friends of the Earth, said: “The council is just doing this because it feel obliged to consult with the people because at the election they said they would not put up charges.”
Mr Ackers attended a launch party for the referendum at Islington Green on Tuesday. He debated opposite Roger Lawson from the Association of British Drivers.
Councillors say that by now each of Islington’s 127,500 eligible voters will have received ballot papers. Votes are also being accepted online or by text message.
Critics say that the council has shifted away from the subject matter of the referendum – that drivers of gas guzzlers should pay more – and is instead encouraging people to vote because a low turn-out will be a PR disaster.
Brian Potter, chairman of the Islington Leaseholders’ Forum, said: “Charging people who live on estates more is absolute robbery and is just an exercise in taxation. This is just another case of Islington Council trying to tax motorists.” |
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