Barking and Dagenham Council leaders have approved a new Barking and Dagenham parking strategy that will see tougher enforcement of bad parking, wider use of CCTV cameras across the borough, and the rollout of more “school streets” to protect children at drop-off and pick-up times. The cabinet endorsed the strategy at a meeting on Tuesday 15 September, setting the tone for how parking will be managed across the borough in the years ahead.
The plan commits the council to expand camera enforcement at locations including bus routes, banned turns, yellow box junctions and pedestrian crossings, alongside increased enforcement action at parks and leisure centres. It also promises a crackdown on motorcycle and moped-related contraventions, including inappropriate parking within shopping parades, public spaces and other sensitive locations.
What is in the Barking and Dagenham parking strategy
At the heart of the strategy is a shift towards using CCTV more widely to tackle persistent problem parking. Council papers say the expanded use of cameras will target spots where illegal parking causes the most disruption — blocking bus routes, obstructing pedestrian crossings and clogging yellow box junctions that are meant to keep traffic flowing.
The strategy also sets out a clear timetable for parking permit zones, which are to be extended so that they cover the entire borough by 2028. According to the council, borough-wide permits will help make sure residents can park near their homes while reducing the number of cars on the road and improving air quality and public health.
Enforcement teams will also take a tougher line at parks and leisure centres, and will specifically target motorcycle and moped-related contraventions. The papers highlight inappropriate parking within shopping parades, public spaces and other sensitive locations as a particular focus.
More school streets around the borough’s schools
The strategy will underpin the continued expansion of school streets across Barking and Dagenham. These traffic management schemes stop motor vehicles from entering certain streets near schools at pick-up and drop-off times — 8am to 9:15am and 2:45pm to 4pm, Monday to Friday.
There are currently school streets near 13 primary and junior schools in the borough. Council plans say the schemes play an “important role” in “improving safety and air quality around schools and encouraging active travel amongst children and families”, adding: “The parking strategy will support the continued development and enforcement of school street schemes across the borough.”
Why the council says the changes are needed
The council argues that population growth and poor health in the borough mean it must update how it manages parking on its streets. Papers supporting the strategy say there is increased demand for on-street parking, while too few people walk, cycle or use public transport.
“As the borough has grown, demand for kerbside space has increased significantly,” council papers say. “Increased residential development, changing housing patterns and population growth have resulted in greater demand for limited parking capacity across residential areas, town centres and local neighbourhoods.”
The papers also note that Barking and Dagenham scores “below the London average” for walking and cycling measures, adding: “Increasing opportunities for active travel and reducing dependency on private vehicle use are therefore important components of improving health outcomes and creating healthier neighbourhoods.”
Senior Labour councillor Syed Ghani, the cabinet member responsible for parking, told the cabinet the plan was “designed to support safer, cleaner and greener neighbourhoods” in Barking and Dagenham.
He said: “This will actually benefit the residents because of safer streets, cleaner air, reduced congestion, better accessibility, and improving parking and compliance.”
Councillors raise concerns over the cost to poorer motorists
The strategy did not pass without challenge. Councillors from all parties questioned the plans at a scrutiny meeting last week, arguing that poorer people who depend on older cars would suffer as a result of the tougher approach.
The Reform UK opposition group is now pushing for the rollout to be paused. It wants councillors to vote in favour of a pause at a full council meeting on Wednesday 23 September, setting up a test of support for the strategy at the borough’s highest decision-making forum.
That vote will be a key moment for the plan. If the pause is rejected, the council will press ahead with the expanded CCTV enforcement, the school streets programme and the borough-wide permit zones timetable.
Reporting based on the Barking and Dagenham Star (Nick Clark, Local Democracy Reporter).
