Paul Terry wrote:
snip

According to the BBC yesterday, the suggestion came from TfL:

A TfL spokesman told BBC News Online: "This is just an idea at
the moment but we want to bring the benefits central London
has seen, as a result of congestion charging, to other areas
of London affected by heavy traffic."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/3362683.stm

What benefits? Local shops closing due to massive reductions in passing
trade and higher delivery costs, companies moving out of London to reduce
costs of reps' cars and staff lateness due to poor public transport links,
etc.

Like Gordo I also live in E14 and our local Press has been warning us for
the last year that the CCZ could be extended eastwards at least as far as
the Blackwall Tunnel bringing one of the poorest areas in the UK into the
zone. Local shops have already been decimated as Tower Hamlets Council have
raised shop/business rents and Business Rate Council Tax astronomically - in
some cases backdated up to 7 years (they said that due to an error earlier
rent rises were not implemented and they were just 'bringing the records up
to date'). We have lost our butchers, bakers, greengrocers, fish shops,
etc. only to have the premises taken over by a myriad fast food outlets.

The result of an extension to the CCZ would be a huge increase in
unemployment in an area with high unemployment to start with.
--
Phil ,,,^.".^,,,


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