Out of hours GP Safiya Ahsan is caught in a parking permit trap that has left her often facing a lonely 20-minute walk home in the middle of the night after a long shift.

Dr Ahsan has been refused a permit by Newham Council because she lives on the private Chobham Manor estate in Stratford’s E20 Olympic Park. Parking on the scheme’s roads is managed by a private company, Parking Control Management.

For some residents, a parking space was included when they bought their apartment, but for others like Dr Ahsan, who bought without a space, they are now hard to come by, sometimes changing hands for as much as £50-£100,000. Parking without a permit in the area costs £18 for 12 hours.

Dr Ahsan said: “I pay council tax to Newham Council but I am being denied this service. I am told that I cannot have a permit in my postcode because it is a private estate. I have challenged this and asked for an East Village area permit, but had no response and it’s really difficult to get through to talk to anyone about it.”

She added: “I often have to go out or come home in the early hours when there is no one around and it can feel very scary if you are alone. I don’t see why as a resident I cannot be given an East Village permit which would allow me to park much closer.”

A spokesperson for L&Q, the Chobham Manor development company, said: “We appreciate and understand the frustration felt by Dr Ahsan.

“As a car free development, the number of parking bays at Chobham Manor was limited from the outset due to planning regulations. The parking spaces available are sold in tandem with properties on a first come first served basis.

Unfortunately, as allocations have already been made, we do not have the power to make exemptions or change parking arrangements.”

Newham Council’s parking permits website advises that residents “may be able to apply for a permit” but there are exclusions as well as special categories, none of which apply to a key worker in Dr Ahsan’s position.

Newham Council failed to comment as Newham Voices went to press.

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