Some people think the car parking spaces are used mostly by non-residents
Plans to revamp a city estate could cause environmental damage to the area, warns Leicester Green Party.
The party stepped in after St Matthews residents contacted it to express their fears the city council’s recently published plans to improve the area would result in more air pollution.
Residents and a local charity previously told LeicestershireLive that they were not adequately informed about the plans
The city council said at the time that the consultation period, which ended on Sunday, May 9, was the latest step in ongoing engagement with residents about the plans.
One resident, who wanted to remain anonymous and has lived in the area for 22 years, said: “I feel very opposed to the idea of using the money for encouraging more usage by adding parking spaces.
“A few years ago, trees in the area were cut down to make car parking spaces in St Matthews. I would hate to see another tree cut down.”
She added that around 60 per cent of residents do not drive and questioned the need for more car parking spaces.
“During the evening, there are not as many cars parked in the area and myself and other tenants I have spoken to think that they’re mainly used by people who are going into the city centre or work there.”
St Matthews Big Local, a charity made up of residents who live in the estate previously said that the plans did not align with their goals to make the area “cleaner and greener”.
The city council say parking has been a key priority since consultations to improve the area began in 2015 and have worked closely with the Tenants and Residents Association and local ward councillors.
A spokesperson for the city council said it has been “consistently raised by the majority of residents during this time”.
Residents subsequently contacted Leicester Green Party who have now raised similar concerns.
Although the Green Party has not been able to see the plans in full, it has questioned the addition of car parking spaces amid Leicester’s climate emergency being declared by the city council in 2019.
Party secretary, Margaret Lewis said: “I think if there is a plan to increase car parking spaces it should be matched with a reduction in spaces somewhere else.
“When the climate emergency was declared St Matthews was one of the hotspots and even if that has dropped, we shouldn’t be saying ‘great we’re just below the limit of illegal levels of air pollution’.
“It has wider implications for the rest of us too – we don’t want illegal air pollution in our city.”
The party has requested further information on the plans from the city council.
The city council said electric car charging points will be installed in new parking areas as well as new bike facilities and an improvement of green spaces.
LeicestershireLive understands that some residents were signposted to Climate Action Leicester and Leicestershire.
Climate Action Leicester and Leicestershire Campaigner Zina Zelter said it was not her place as someone who does not live in St Matthews to comment directly on the plans but said that generally, more parking spaces leads to more driving.
She said: “We have a climate emergency so we need to change our relationship to cars.
“Young people and children need access to nature. The more green spaces you can put in the more people will have access to them.
“Even if it’s tiny pockets of growing areas that are just big enough for a bench.”
The full statement from the city council
A city council spokesperson said: “Consultations on what improvements residents would like to see on the estate have been ongoing since 2015, involving working closely with the Tenants and Residents Association and local ward councillors.
“Parking has been one of the key priorities which has been consistently raised by the majority of residents during this time.
“A survey of residents which we did in September 2018 cited parking and litter among the key priorities, both of which are addressed in the current proposals, along with opening up areas to improve public safety.
“The work needs to reflect the city council’s commitment to tackling the climate emergency, and therefore we are also installing electric car charging points where new parking is being created, new bicycle storage facilities, tree planting work and improving green spaces.
“As part of the consultation on these current plans in December 2020, all the residents on Ottawa Road who would be directly affected were consulted.
“Of the 30 households in the block, 24 were in favour of the work being carried out.
“Tenant engagement is a core principle of any work we do involving changes affecting our housing stock, and we are continuing to work closely with the Tenants and Residents Association and local ward councillors, including planning an open-air question and answer session during the summer to allow people to raise any other issues or questions on the proposals.”
Article originally appeared on the Leicestershire Live.
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