Wantz Road car park off Oxlow Lane was officially reopened on November 10 after being closed for 12 months.
A Barking and Dagenham Council spokesperson said the facility was initially closed due to persistent vandalism and fly-tipping which led to it being unsafe to the public.
Sam Dear, owner of Robertson’s Fishing Tackle in Oxlow Lane, began a petition to reopen the facility in July after telling this paper he was watching the 87-year-old business “die” with the loss of customers.
The petition received 1,603 signatures in total.
Sam said he received a letter from the council in the week before the reopening informing him the car park would be back in action.
“It felt good but it wasn’t great because it was wrong in the first place,” he told this paper.
“It was wrong that it was ever taken away so just because you give it back doesn’t make it right.
“I wish it was done six months ago or, better still, I wish we were consulted about the closure initially.”
The car park will operate as a pay by phone facility as previously, with season tickets available for businesses and spaces for blue badge holders to park.
Sam said he will be putting up QR code stickers around the shop so customers can pay for or top-up their parking sessions from inside Robertson’s Fishing Tackle.
“It’s come right at the end of the season – now is when it gets quiet for fishing so we’ve still got a hard winter ahead but at least we have a car park,” he said.
“It’s perfect for what we need – it’s all clear and the lines have been redone.
“We’re hoping that everyone can now get down and come and see us.
“The kettle will be on non-stop with loads of biscuits.”
The business was founded in 1938 by George Robertson in Plaistow and moved to Dagenham in 2002.
Sam originally worked there on Saturdays when he was 16 and worked his way up the ladder before taking over the business early this year.
He prides himself on the shop’s community-centred nature and in June, he said it was “more like a social club than a tackle shop”.
Sam also said he hopes the reopening encourages the council to rethink the way it works.
He said: “I think the council should start realising it should work more towards what’s in the interest of residents and also consult people before it does something.”
A council spokesperson said: “The car park was closed due to ongoing vandalism and fly-tipping which led to the car park becoming unsafe and unusable to the public.
“In an effort to support local shoppers and visitors to the area, a decision was taken by the council to fund remedial works to make the car park safe and once again fully operational.
“The car park will continue to operate as a pay by phone facility, as it has done for many years, as well as season tickets being available for businesses to purchase if required, and spaces for blue badge holders to park.
“We understand residents’ frustrations and it’s disappointing that the actions of a small few have impacted the use of the car park.
“Anti-social behaviour has no place in our borough and we will closely monitor the site following its reopening.”
