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Islington Tribune - by PETER GRUNER
Published: 02 January 2009

From left: Islington Lib Dems Tracy Ismail, GLA member Caroline Pidgeon and Terry Stacy hand in their petition at City Hall

‘Slap in the face’ as Labour and Tories block red route protest

Petition with over 1,000 names opposing parking controls snubbed at City Hall

OPPOSITION politicians at the London Assembly, led by Islington’s Labour member, Jennette Arnold, have been accused of “ganging up” to block a Lib Dem petition against the introduction of Sunday red route parking controls on Holloway Road.
The petition called on Mayor Boris Johnson to abandon plans to extend the red route, which prohibits vehicles from stopping, along the A1 on Sundays.
It contained more than 1,000 signatures, organised and collected by Lib Dem councillors and traders. Councillors Terry Stacy and Tracey Ismail, who went to City Hall last week to hand the petition in, “watched in disbelief” as Ms Arnold moved to block it.
She was supported by Labour and Conservative members despite the objections of the Lib Dems. St George’s ward Liberal Democrat councillor Ms Ismail said: “It turned my stomach to see Labour and Conservative members, led by our locally elected Assembly representative, gang up to gag Islington residents and traders.
“It seems like Labour and the Tories are happy to work together to try and silence the opposition to Sunday Red Route controls on Holloway Road.
“But this issue won’t go away just because they’d like it to.”
Ms Ismail was joined by fellow Lib Dem councillor Terry Stacy. He said: “What a slap in the face for local residents and traders who have collected this petition.
“Jennette Arnold should be ashamed of herself. I look forward to her explaining to traders why she doesn’t think they should be heard. She has stabbed Islington residents and traders in the back.”
Ms Arnold has been by the Mayor that he would be “reluctant” to support local councils wishing to take control of Red Routes in London.
Following Islington Council’s proposal to transfer the control of these principal highways to the council’s control, Ms Arnold asked the London Mayor whether he would support their proposal.
Ms Arnold said “It is imperative that TfL retains control of London’s priority Red Routes.
“These roads are London’s busiest main arteries and they carry traffic across the city.
“It would be ridiculous to hand over their management to separate boroughs. TfL are best placed to provide the city-wide management scheme that Red Routes need.”
In her questions to the Mayor, Ms Arnold sought his agreement that in order for Red Routes to operate effectively across London, they should remain in the control of TfL.
Mayor Johnson agreed that Londoners want “consistency and clarity” in their road networks and for that reason and he would be “reluctant” to “go down any route that led to greater arrangements across London”.

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