RESIDENTS and councillors in Ockendon have reacted with anger after Labour promised to look at free Parking permits for Grays and Stanford – but not Ockendon.
Conservative councillors Lynn Carr and Barry Johnson have often raised the well known problems with commuter parking on the Flowers estate near Ockendon station, especially on Rosemary Close. However, Ockendon residents will not be receiving the free permits, which help residents to park without having to compete with commuters using the station.
Reacting to the announcement, Cllr Lynn Carr said “Residents have been suffering at the hands of the commuters’ irresponsible parking for years. We have repeatedly asked Labour cabinet members to some down to Ockendon and see the problem first hand, but to no avail. Whilst Grays and Stanford are getting free parking permits, Ockendon is Labour’s forgotten man once again.
“The reality is Labour’s appalling record in Ockendon shows no signs of improvement. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to guess that Labour will try to introduce this just before the next election to try to repair their shattered reputation. They need to put residents first now rather than abandoning the Flowers estate once again.”
Cllr Barry Johnson added “It would not cost a lot to include Ockendon in this scheme, yet this is the excuse, as always. The reality is we could introduce charging meters on Tamerisk Road for commuter parking, and this would raise funds for free resident permit schemes. I first proposed this in 2010, but as always Labour have no interest in Ockendon whatsoever.”
You would have thought that the boy Kiely could have had some input on this issue, surely even an intellectual minnow like him could get to grips with a parking issue on behalf of the brothers and sisters of Ockendon?
i thought this was the season to be Merry not the season to bash Labour?
I’m not Labour bashing, I’m Kiely bashing! I’m sure he doesn’t ‘do’ xmas. He may well be making Merry though, with taxpayers money and somewhere other than Ockendon.