£300,000 for parking signs before public is consulted

Westminster council chiefs have agreed to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on signs for its new West End parking regime even though it is still officially sounding out residents and businesses, the Standard has learned.

The Conservative-run authority was accused of "totally pre-empting" local opinion by placing the order for hundreds of signs displaying the new evening and Sunday charging hours.

The statutory round of consultation and the third in all will start on November 14 before the introduction of the so-called "tax on nightlife" in the new year - but opponents claim it will be a hollow exercise.

In a letter to Westminster's Labour group leader Paul Dimoldenberg, the council's director of city management Leith Penny said: "I can confirm that the order for the new signs for the new evening and Sunday parking charges has been placed... I can confirm that the provision for the signage and the order making is currently forecast at £293,386."

Mr Penny also said that the costs, which are expected to rise to £500,000, will be covered by extra revenue from charges and fines "resulting in a projected net nil cost to the City Council".

Mr Dimoldenberg said: "If the council has already spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on signs it shows that whatever people say they are going to go ahead."

Westminster resident and campaigner Paul Pearson said: "The law says that the consultation must be meaningful and conducted with an open mind. But there is no way they can be taking any notice of the people and businesses who take the time and trouble to respond to the consultation if they have already spent nearly £300,000 on the new signs."

The latest row comes as hundreds of furious Mayfair residents claimed that the charges will actually increase congestion by forcing them to drive round looking for a resident parking bay rather than leaving their cars on yellow lines outside their homes overnight.

Under the new rules they will have to pay up to £4.80 an hour until 11pm if all the resident parking bays in their neighbourhood are full.

Anthony Lorenz, chairman of the Residents' Society of Mayfair and St James, said: "People who come home from work at 6.30pm will be unable to find residents' parking spaces because they'll be like gold dust and people won't want to leave them.

"The knock-on effect is that these drivers will then be going around the block looking for spaces and causing a traffic problem where there was none before.

"Also, people who have just renewed their residents' parking contracts will not be able to get onto their bays, so they have been deceived."

There are only 1,391 residents' bays in Mayfair and St James's but 1,521 parking permits have been issued.

Businessman Nick Leslau, 52, said: "I live with my family in Mayfair and think introducing severe parking restrictions and charges at night and at the weekends is an appalling idea.

"I was under the impression the council was trying to encourage more family living in Mayfair. How does the council reconcile that policy with making it very hard for relatives and friends to visit out of normal business hours, having to find elusive parking bays or pay extortionate charges for public car parks?"

Council leader Colin Barrow said: "If someone says 'I want more residents' parking' we can convert meters or single yellow lines."

Top tory's email reveals deepening party split over 'tax on nightlife'

A leading Westminster Tory has written to colleagues pleading for them to reverse proposals to introduce parking charges in the evenings and weekends across the West End.

Shelagh Spensley, chairman of the West End Ward Conservative Association, has written to party members to say Tories supporting the proposals "must consider the damage they are doing to our community".

The email shows the deepening divisions among Westminster Conservatives over the so-called "nightlife tax".

Westminster leader Colin Barrow has repeatedly insisted there will be no U-turn despite the growing public outcry over the measures. Ms Spensley's email was addressed to association chairman Clare Hambro but was also sent to Tory councillors and activists.

She said: "The councillors are imposing these restrictions against the warnings of a clear majority.

"We work very hard to keep our residents informed of the good works our councillors do for the community, however, much of that will be sullied by this decision with the community who is publicly fighting against the charges."

She added: "We feel the councillors must consider the damage they are doing to our community, party, their re-election chances and our work as Conservative activists and make amends before the situation becomes irreparable.

"We wish to lodge a formal motion of ward disapproval and plead to the council cabinet to drop the proposal."

A Conservative party source said that a number of prominent Westminster Tories are opposed to the parking measures and said they are now putting pressure on Mr Barrow and other cabinet members to reverse the decision. The source said party members are "extremely concerned" that a number of councillors could lose their seats at the next election because of the furore.

Paul Dimoldenberg, Labour group leader on Westminster council, said: "We know that many Conservative councillors are privately opposed to these measures.

"It is no surprise that the Conservatives in Westminster are absolutely petrified by the thought of going into the next election with this parking albatross around their necks. It will mean that a number of councillors could lose their seats."

Peter Dominiczak