Parking zones kill town centres
Barnet and Potter's bar Times
Most streets in New Barnet, East Barnet and Whetstone are to become part of a gigantic controlled parking zone (CPZ) under new plans unveiled by Barnet Council this week.
The move, which will be heard at a specially convened committee meeting next Wednesday, is set to be forced upon residents purely to fill a hole in the council's parking budget, a senior council source has told this newspaper.
The council report outlines three new zones stretching from Totteridge to Southgate and from Barnet Odeon to Brunswick Park which would raise more than £450,000 a year for the council in parking fines, pay and display income and residents' permits.
Councillor Matthew Offord, cabinet member for transport, dismissed claims the scheme is being introduced to raise revenue.
"The push on the initial consultation is nothing to do with raising revenue, as the schemes will not be a significant income source," he said. "In any case, we would expect that after consultation the size of the schemes would reduce.
"As I keep stressing, parking is not a money-making service in Barnet we have made huge strides this year to improve the service, making it fairer for the motorist, which will result in less income for the council." It emerged last month that revenue from parking fines had dropped by almost £2.8 million over the past two years.
A special meeting of the Chipping Barnet Area Environment sub-committee has been convened solely to discuss the proposal. If accepted, the council will begin consultation and the zones could be rolled out in early 2007.
Revenue figures, provided in the report, show that the council expects an income of £466,000 from the new schemes, including £100,000 a year from parking fines.
But fellow cabinet member, Councillor Brian Coleman, who is also the chairman of the London Assembly has criticised the move.
"It is not required. CPZs are not the answer they are never the answer. It will kill Whetstone town centre parking controls kill town centres."
His fellow Totteridge ward councillor Richard Cornelius agreed, saying: "It should be rejected in my opinion. I do not think it is necessary and I will be making my opinion known."
Councillor Kath McGuirk, Labour's spokeswoman on parking, said she would not be surprised if this was a revenue-raising exercise. "The council appears to ignore the views of residents and ward councillors in consultations. There has been a big reduction within the special parking account and they are claiming that it is not a money making exercise. I wouldn't be surprised if this is revenue raising."
But Mr Offord said that his motivation was to help solve residents' parking problems.
"This meeting is to bring forward the consultation on the CPZs to mitigate the effects parking problems in the area are having on residents and businesses," he said.
"We have received numerous comments from traders in East Barnet Road, Whetstone High Road, Oakleigh Road North, and Gallants Farm Road near Oakleigh Park Station, in particular, who experience problems caused primarily by commuter or all day parking."
Most streets in New Barnet, East Barnet and Whetstone are to become part of a gigantic controlled parking zone (CPZ) under new plans unveiled by Barnet Council this week.
The move, which will be heard at a specially convened committee meeting next Wednesday, is set to be forced upon residents purely to fill a hole in the council's parking budget, a senior council source has told this newspaper.
The council report outlines three new zones stretching from Totteridge to Southgate and from Barnet Odeon to Brunswick Park which would raise more than £450,000 a year for the council in parking fines, pay and display income and residents' permits.
Councillor Matthew Offord, cabinet member for transport, dismissed claims the scheme is being introduced to raise revenue.
"The push on the initial consultation is nothing to do with raising revenue, as the schemes will not be a significant income source," he said. "In any case, we would expect that after consultation the size of the schemes would reduce.
"As I keep stressing, parking is not a money-making service in Barnet we have made huge strides this year to improve the service, making it fairer for the motorist, which will result in less income for the council." It emerged last month that revenue from parking fines had dropped by almost £2.8 million over the past two years.
A special meeting of the Chipping Barnet Area Environment sub-committee has been convened solely to discuss the proposal. If accepted, the council will begin consultation and the zones could be rolled out in early 2007.
Revenue figures, provided in the report, show that the council expects an income of £466,000 from the new schemes, including £100,000 a year from parking fines.
But fellow cabinet member, Councillor Brian Coleman, who is also the chairman of the London Assembly has criticised the move.
"It is not required. CPZs are not the answer they are never the answer. It will kill Whetstone town centre parking controls kill town centres."
His fellow Totteridge ward councillor Richard Cornelius agreed, saying: "It should be rejected in my opinion. I do not think it is necessary and I will be making my opinion known."
Councillor Kath McGuirk, Labour's spokeswoman on parking, said she would not be surprised if this was a revenue-raising exercise. "The council appears to ignore the views of residents and ward councillors in consultations. There has been a big reduction within the special parking account and they are claiming that it is not a money making exercise. I wouldn't be surprised if this is revenue raising."
But Mr Offord said that his motivation was to help solve residents' parking problems.
"This meeting is to bring forward the consultation on the CPZs to mitigate the effects parking problems in the area are having on residents and businesses," he said.
"We have received numerous comments from traders in East Barnet Road, Whetstone High Road, Oakleigh Road North, and Gallants Farm Road near Oakleigh Park Station, in particular, who experience problems caused primarily by commuter or all day parking."
posted by Neil Herron at 12:30 PM
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