Like thousands across the country, my street responded to the pandemic by creating a WhatsApp group. Almost two years on it's still going strong – a place to rehouse stuff that's no longer needed, borrow a vital missing ingredient for that recipe you're cooking tonight, organise the weekly foodbank collection...you get the idea.

The group has also become a place to debate community issues, the latest of which is a consultation on introducing a controlled parking zone. As a former council leader, this has been fascinating to observe. Most people's first instinct has been to assume the consultation is a sham and the council is set on rolling out the scheme regardless. While I have patiently explained that the zones are resident-led and nothing will happen without genuine community support, I don't think I have convinced anybody.