Activists in Shirley yesterday delivered a petition to Transport for London signed by more than 1,200 local residents calling for one-hour free parking at key points in their neighbourhood.
Said Otmani, left, and Marzia Nicodemi, right, at City Hall yesterday with Fiona Twycross accepting the petition on parking in Shirley
When Marzia Nicodemi and Said Otmani delivered the petition, they were met outside City Hall by London Assembly Member Fiona Twycross.
“Shirley has four parades of shops: the Bluebird Parade, the Poppy Parade, the Library Parade and the Shirley Inn Parade,” Nicodemi said. “But Shirley has no car parks and one small co-op.”
Double red lines – the responsibility of TfL – and other parking restrictions make trading very difficult for the small independent shops along Wickham Road and once you reach the Shirley Library travelling west towards Croydon the one hour parking becomes 30 minutes.
“That’s not enough time to meet friends for a coffee, or do some shopping, or get a haircut,” Otmani said.
According to Nicodemi, variations in the timings of parking restrictions in the area sees many unwitting motorists falling prey to fixed penalty notices, and the owners of independent shops complain that this is driving their customers away.
Nicodemi is the secretary of the organisation which runs the community centre and for the past four years has edited the online community magazine Shirley Life. Nicodemi and Otmani are both Labour candidates in Shirley ward in the local elections on May 22.
“We, the Shirley Labour Team, decided to start a petition without any Labour insignia because we are Shirley residents and it is our problem,” Nicodemi said.
“The Hartland Way Surgery asked us to add a request for disabled parking because their patients cannot park anywhere. Said takes his elderly father-in-law to the surgery and I accompany elderly residents under the Shirley Neighbourhood Care umbrella. We agreed without hesitation.
“We are determined to get our one-hour free parking.”
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“We are determined to get our one hour free parking” But at what cost?
I am totally in agreement with the idea but not in the under-handed way the signatures were collected on the petition and then being openly declared that the Labour Party in Shirley was behind it in the first place.
I challenge Nicodemi and Otmanis to go and knock on the doors of all those people who signed that document wearing a Labour rosette and ask them to endorse their signatures. The result would be very different.
These Labour candidates pretending to represent Shirley should be ashamed of themselves for duping the community and using peoples’ views as a political tool to win seats on the Croydon Council.
Hang your heads in shame comrades. One more reason not to vote Labour.
So, what you admit to being a “good idea” suddenly becomes a bad one because it doesn’t have an UKIP rosette attached to it?
If Nicodemi and Otmani (and you really ought to do your politician colleagues the courtesy of getting their names right) have done the hard-slog to put together a petition that represents the views of their neighbours and friends, why shouldn’t they use it to their political advantage?
They are only doing, after all, what the elected councillors in Shirley, including the florid-faced leader of the council, have failed to do.
And your accusation of under-handedness is unworthy, and untrue.
Nicodemi has long been associated with the Labour Party, and is well-known in Shirley for her hard work in the community. Otmani is well-known as an activist for his trades union.
Meanwhile, UKIP continues to struggle to shake off the label of “the BNP in blazers”.
I apologise for spelling the names of Marzia Nicodemi and Said Otmani incorrectly.
The Shirley Labour Action Team walked the ward with the petition.
Residents were fully aware we are standing for Labour in Shirley.
All the shops and the surgery in Shirley know us as Labour candidates.
Said and I are Shirley residents and will make a big difference in Shirley if elected. We are already making a difference as Labour Active in Shirley.
I was disappointed to read Peter Staveley’s comment. Really unworthy of him.
If we are silly enough to hand UKIP the balance of power in the forthcoming election can we expect it to veto proposals on the basis of who made them rather than whether or not they are good for the borough?
Another good reason for not voting for these people.
Peter,
Thank you for supporting our 1hr free parking idea, I can send you our Shirley Labour Manifesto – it’s full with other good ideas which UKIP can hijack.
I live in Shirley and the people you call voters I know as Kevin, Paul, Tony, Sue, Raj, David, Hassan, all friends and neighbours, to name but a few.
I am in politics not for love of politics but for the love of Shirley and the opportunity to have a good impact in my area.
The slurs and spin you have demonstrated show you to be a politician of the lowest calibre.
“I want it, it’s good but because I didn’t think of it I don’t like it.”
UKIP if you want to, Peter, I’m staying up and voting Labour for the love of Shirley
Said Otmani