Residents are invited to share their views on parking restrictions in Havering following a major campaign calling on the council to scrap 30 minutes of free parking in Hornchurch and Upminster.

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During a council meeting on September 25, the council leader, councillor Damian White announced the local authority would hear what residents and businesses have to say in regards to changes in parking.

The parking review asks households and businesses how best to protect their parking in Elm Park, Hylands, Romford, Rainham, Emerson Park, Gidea Park, Hornchurch, Upminster and Harold Wood.

New parking fees were introduced earlier this year starting from £1.50 in Hornchurch and Upminster as part of Havering Council's proposal to invest £10million a year to improve roads and pavements as part of a £40million package over four years across the borough.

Residents held numerous protests against the parking charge increases and claimed the changes were detrimental to the borough's high streets and businesses.

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Councillor Osman Dervish, Havering's cabinet member for environment, said: "We know many households and businesses experience problems parking near their homes and business properties.

"With the introduction of Crossrail and a new c2c connection, we expect this to become worse.

"To find out more about these issues and look at the best solutions, we have launched our parking review consultation in nine areas around the borough from which we have heard have the most problems.

"This will also offer us a clearer picture of the whole borough."

The council hopes to particularly engage with businesses in Hornchurch and Upminster.

"These solutions could cover anything from new Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs), additional yellow lines, new parking bays, or even making no change at all," said Cllr Dervish.

"We are also listening to the views of businesses, especially in Hornchurch and Upminster, who have expressed concerns about the end of free parking.

"When this has finished, we will publish the results and once again ask these households and businesses if they are happy with the proposed solutions."

The consultation will run until midnight on Friday, November 22.

Visit consultation.havering.gov.uk/coo/parking-review.

Paper copies will also be available across libraries in the nine areas from next week.