'There is no such thing as free parking'

Councillor Dean Cohen, the man in charge of the environment on Barnet Borough Council, says he will look into installing free Wi-Fi to bring more people into the area.

But many coffee shops already offer free internet and traders who are fighting for free parking say their businesses are “slowly dying”.

Cllr Cohen made the comments in response to the Times Series' campaign for 30 minutes' free parking in the borough's high streets and car parks.

Our petition has reached nearly 6,000 signatures and we need 7,000 before August 1 for it to be heard at a full council meeting.

But Cllr Cohen does not agree that free parking will help shops.

He said: “High streets need to adapt their offer to fit the modern world and the global trends at the heart of this. The council is helping by making high streets more attractive, for example by investing in the physical environment and installing free Wi-Fi.

“The £2.26m invested in Cricklewood to improve the street scene has coincided with a fall in its vacancy rate from 6.2 per cent to 4.6 per cent.

“A major review of all the available research was undertaken by London Councils, who found no real positive link between blanket 30 minutes' free parking and increased footfall. In fact, they noted that factors related to the mix of shops and the quality of the environment were more significant influences on shoppers’ behaviour than parking.

“The most important aspect of parking was found to be turnover and the ease of finding a space. Our 85 per cent occupancy target helps ensure high streets are busy, but that drivers – including the elderly and infirm – are able to get a space.

“London Councils also state that there is no such thing as free parking, as the cost must be borne by someone, hence the taxpayer. Proponents of 30 minutes free parking in Barnet have never been able to say where the required £3 million per year would come from anyway.”