Newham Council has launched a comprehensive review of its parking services, aiming to ensure the system is fair, transparent, and meets the evolving needs of residents, businesses, and visitors. The initiative is partly a response to feedback heard on the doorstep, not just in the last campaign, but across many years,
according to Councillor Susan Masters, Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Environment.
The Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on Monday, July 6, 2026, to consider the proposed terms of reference and scope for the review. This initiative will examine key areas including parking supply and demand, permit parking zones, charging structures, town centres, enforcement operations, digital services, car-free developments, and future growth. The review is expected to take twelve months, with an interim report due in six months.
Councillor Sophia Naqvi, Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, opened the meeting, highlighting the importance of scrutiny in shaping decisions. She noted that this review is a significant opportunity for members to influence policy before it reaches the Cabinet.
Councillor Masters acknowledged that current parking zones, some in place for over a decade, are flawed
and no longer fully adequate. The borough has changed significantly during this period due to factors such as the relocation of West Ham United and new housing developments, including car-free developments.
Rebecca Johnson, Corporate Director for Environment and Sustainable Transport, emphasized the collaborative nature of the review, stating, We're very much open and welcome to the next questions and challenges, and I'm looking forward to working with you all on this.
During the meeting, councillors raised questions about consultation methods, particularly for residents whose first language is not English. Officers assured that a variety of quantitative and qualitative methods would be used. Quantitative methods will be employed to get that feedback and establish those baselines on trust and various other metrics.
Qualitative methods will involve going out there and having conversations, you know, with businesses and things like that, particularly along high streets, those factors in local business areas.
The council also plans to utilize the new neighbourhood model for community engagement and is open to exploring other ways to engage hard-to-reach communities, including opportunities for letter drops. The proposed 12-month timeline was explained as necessary for extensive data collection and analysis, including parking stress surveys and assessing other uses of kerbside space.
Councillor Oli Rahman highlighted concerns about enforcement, particularly regarding cycle lanes being obstructed by parked cars, and the need for timely action. The review will examine where those demands and pressures are on our curbside space
and aims to mitigate and eliminate some of those issues.
Enforcement operations are included within the scope of the review, and specific operational concerns can be escalated to the relevant department.
The review aims to ensure parking operations primarily serve road safety, access, and road network efficiency, while also supporting the vitality of Newham's high streets and local economy. It will investigate future structure, eligibility and pricing of resident, visitor and permit permits
and ensure the charging regimes for parking fairly balance the competing needs of road user groups to effectively manage demand.
The review will also consider impacts on equity, affordability, and car-free developments.
Furthermore, the review will balance the needs of residents, businesses, and visitors with wider council priorities and environmental goals. It will consider future-proof parking arrangements to account for new developments, population growth, EV transition, future air quality goals, and changing travel patterns over a 10–15 year horizon.
This includes analysing demand for EV charging and secure cycle storage to balance the requirements of those who need to drive with those looking to transition to cleaner vehicles or use more sustainable modes of travel.
The council's strategy for managing parking demand in town centres will also be reviewed. This includes assessing short-stay parking, turnover, loading and servicing arrangements
and determining opportunities to improve accessibility, wayfinding, and user experience. Approaches will be benchmarked against comparable London boroughs where appropriate, with the aim of ensuring parking policy supports the vitality of Newham's high streets and local economy.
The review aims to ensure the service is fair, transparent, accessible, financially sustainable, safe, and future-proof.
Improving resident and business confidence and trust in the Council' parking systems, communications and appeals process
is also an objective. The review will examine the effectiveness of existing parking arrangements and whether they remain fair, consistent, and aligned with local needs.
Public reports pack for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on July 6, 2026, provides further details on the review.
