Angry residents in an east London borough have held a public meeting to protest at council plans to restrict parking in their area ahead of the introduction of congestion charging.

They claim the plans in Hackney would reduce available parking by 50%, harming local businesses and leaving them nowhere to keep their cars.

The council says it is trying to prevent commuters leaving their cars there to avoid the congestion charge.

It is one of 22 councils across the capital which have so far taken up money offered by Transport for London (TfL) to combat any negative impact of congestion charging.

Parking restrictions

Lambeth Camden, Islington Barnet, Brent Waltham Forest Southwark, Wandsworth Newham, Ealing Enfield, Harrow Haringey, Hounslow Lewisham, Croydon Merton, Sutton Greenwich, Bromley Hackney, Hillingdon

Hackney Council plans to put double yellow lines in front of all the businesses and introduce Controlled Parking Zones (CPZ), which restricts parking to residents.

They include two florists, who have several vans each, three restaurants, two food shops, a pottery shop and minicab office which runs 17 vehicles.

Tanya Fitzgerald, a florist, is worried it will ruin her company.

She said: "I don't know if my business will be viable, particularly with double yellow lines outside on the main road where a lot of my business is impulse buying."

She will have to pay �320 a year for each business vehicle for a parking permit.

For residents, a CPZ will operate from 0700 GMT to 1900 GMT Monday to Saturday, costing them �80 a year for a permit.

Cash fund

They claim the council is trying to steamroller the plans through without proper consultation.

The council is using money put up by TfL, which has set aside �100m to fund schemes to tackle any problems in outer boroughs caused by the congestion charge.

Feelings ran high at a public meeting

But residents suspect the CPZ is just another way of raising money.

Patrick Britton, of the Victoria Park Traders Association, said: "It's a good 20-25 minute walk to the nearest tube station.

" We have an inadequate bus service, so commuters aren't going to be attracted to this area anyway."

But Hackney councillor Vincent Stops told BBC London: "There's parking pressure in the area. That parking pressure will not decline.

"Hackney Borough Council is responding to congestion charging in exactly the same way as every other borough on the boundary."

Local businesses say around 30% of their trade comes from outside their area and they are seriously worried people will be driven away.