Constituents will be aware that Julia has lobbied the Council against the increased parking charges for some time whilst also lobbying Local Government Ministers for increased funding for Havering Council. Following Julia’s efforts, the Local Government Minister recently confirmed that Havering Council’s Core Spending Power for the forthcoming financial year will increase by £9.6m from £172.6m to £182.2m. 

Given such a significant increase in the Council’s spending power has been confirmed, last month Julia again wrote to the Council Leader to request that the parking charges affecting only parts of the Hornchurch and Upminster constituency, be subject to full review ahead of the budget-setting meeting of the Council. A full copy of Julia’s letter to the Leader of the Council can be viewed at: https://www.julialopez.co.uk/news/local-government-funding-and-parking-charges

The Leader of the Council advised yesterday that, as a result of the central government funding uplift that Julia secured, there will be:
 
- Free Sunday parking in all council car parks from the 1 April 2020.
- 30 minutes free parking in more than 1000 on-street pay and display bays across the borough from 1 April.
- 20% discount on all parking charges paid by borough residents using the new Havering parking app which is due to launch on 1 May.
- Free parking for specified hours in the car parks of New Windmill Hall, Cottons Park and Lodge Farm Parks, from 1 April (all other parks remain free).
 
The Leader also states that the Council will be looking at wider measures to support the high street of the kind Julia had suggested in earlier correspondence with the Leader: https://www.julialopez.co.uk/news/raising-concerns-about-haverings-parking-charges
 
The full story can be read here:
 
https://thehaveringdaily.co.uk/2020/02/05/free-sunday-parking-from-1st-april-as-car-parking-charges-relaxed/ 
 
We are very pleased to see the Council respond to our concerns and Julia is grateful to all those residents and traders who helped us challenge the original policy since its implementation last year. We would be happy to share any feedback constituents may have to these parking modifications with the Council as it debates them ahead of the proposed April implementation.