Stationery Shop Owner's Lime Green Hell in Covent Garden
The owner of an independent stationery shop in Covent Garden has expressed feeling like an "enemy" of Camden Council due to a prolonged and unresolved dispute over a disruptive dockless e-bike parking bay. Julia Jeuvell, proprietor of Choosing Keeping on Tower Street, has reported numerous issues over the past three years since the Lime bike bay was installed outside her business.
Anti-Social Behavior and Blocked Access
Ms. Jeuvell detailed how the introduction of the e-bike bay has led to what she describes as an "exacerbated sense of insecurity" with a noticeable increase in anti-social behavior and drug-dealing activities in the area. The overflow of improperly parked bikes has created significant obstructions, with dumped bicycles strewn across pavements and roadways, blocking crucial pedestrian crossings and access routes to local businesses.
"I think that the councillors, and Labour government, like to cosy up to tech companies like Lime," Ms. Jeuvell stated. "They show a general disdain for small businesses like ours. It's like we are something on their shoe that they are trying to put to the side. We are told that things are being done, but basically nothing has been done since the problem started in 2023."
Council Contract Extension Despite Criticism
In May 2025, Camden Council approved a one-year contract extension with e-bike operators Lime and Forest, citing the "significant and growing" number of borough residents utilizing these services. This decision came despite mounting complaints from local business owners like Ms. Jeuvell and criticism from within the council itself.
The problematic parking bay outside Choosing Keeping has been temporarily out of service since January due to public realm works on Tower Street. However, Ms. Jeuvell reports receiving no consultation from either Camden Council or Lime regarding when the bay might return to operation, leaving her feeling "ghosted" by the company.
Council Scrutiny and Conflicting Views
During a January 12 environmental scrutiny meeting at Camden Town Hall, Labour ward councillor Awale Olad delivered a scathing assessment of Lime's operations, telling a senior company representative that the firm was "terrible, mendacious and irresponsible" and should not be operating in London. Councillor Olad emphasized this represented his personal view rather than the official position of the ruling Labour group, which has maintained a cooperative relationship with e-bike operators.
Camden Council has implemented measures to address improper parking, including threats to seize bikes dumped in unauthorized locations and imposing fines on the responsible companies. Despite these enforcement efforts, Ms. Jeuvell questions the council's continued partnership with Lime, asking: "If they [Lime] are so mendacious, then why do the council continue working with them?"
Business Background and Industry Response
Choosing Keeping, which offers a curated selection of international stationery products, originally opened on Columbia Road in 2012 before relocating to the Seven Dials area of Covent Garden in 2018. The business has operated at its current Tower Street location throughout the duration of the e-bike dispute.
A Lime spokesperson acknowledged parking challenges in Central London, stating: "We never want our bikes to get in anyone's way. There is a clear need for more designated parking locations to meet the growing demand for our bikes, and our priority is working with Camden Council to help make this happen."
The company highlighted its London Action Plan, through which it helped fund more than 1,100 new e-bike parking bays across London last year—a 47% increase from the previous year. This brings the total number of Lime-supported parking bays in London to over 3,400, including recent additions in Camden.
A Camden Council spokesperson responded: "The council is developing plans to move the bay and will consult on this as soon as possible." The statement suggests potential relocation of the problematic parking bay, though no specific timeline has been provided for when consultation might occur or when any changes would be implemented.
