Over the past few weeks I have attended meetings organised by Island residents of a large estate of social housing, a newer mixed development and a gated development.
All were facing the problem of dumped cars. In each development vehicles appear to have been abandoned on what is essentially private property.
The police and council will not take action. Worse, the DVLA is delaying providing details of registered owners.
As a result people face their own limited space being blocked by abandoned cars while the authorities make it difficult to take action to remove them.
While this goes on, ever more planning applications for residential development are being waved through on the Isle of Dogs, despite there being no social infrastructure to cope.
Many of these developments are "car-free". However the mayor has an opt-out for his supporters, namely "protected parking permits for large families" moving to new homes.
No wonder the Island is increasingly gridlocked these days.
The borough needs new homes.
However, the scale and density of present development, without schools, medical facilities and improved transport, will simply re-create the social problems of the discredited development of the '60s.
This is not how sustainable communities are built.
They come from developers, planners and residents working together.
- Peter Golds is a Conservative councillor for Blackwall & Cubitt Town