forestgatedotnet

With the main contenders in May’s elections desperately trying to outbid each other to win the votes of car drivers – free residential parking permits, an hour (or two!) of free parking every day, a new multi-storey car park on Green Street – it’s worth asking… why?

Car ownership is a minority pursuit in Newham. Across the borough, less than half of households own a car or van. And there isn’t a single ward where car ownership exceeds 60%. In every single ward at least 40% of households won’t see a single penny of benefit from free permits or high street parking. But they will suffer the consequences of more traffic, more pollution, more noise and less safe streets.

It makes no sense whatsoever.

Source: Office for National Statistics, 2021 UK Census

“Car is a necessity not a luxury,” says Cllr Mirza, Newham the Independent candidate, in his election materials. Given half of all residents in the borough don’t own a car, I wonder how he thinks they survive. Does he imagine they are all sat at home, unemployed and starving because they can’t get out to find a job or go to the shops?

Tags: Car ownership, Local Elections 2026