Parking fines planned by Barnet Council for Boxing Day despite libraries closing for the public holiday (From Times Series)

Parking fines planned by Barnet Council for Boxing Day despite libraries closing for the public holiday

11:50am Tuesday 15th December 2009 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
• Comments(2)

DRIVERS cannot expect any festive relief from parking wardens after council bosses announced they will impose fines on Boxing Day.

Barnet Council is not recognising December 26 as a public holiday because it falls on a Saturday this year.

Parking chiefs have also said they will charge as normal on Monday, December 28, despite it being deemed a bank holiday to compensate for Boxing Day falling on the Saturday.

Under the parking enforcement section, the council's website states: “On bank holidays, with the exception of Christmas Day (public holiday), all bus lanes and all on-street and off-street parking restrictions may be enforced unless street signs indicate otherwise.”

At least 14 London councils will be offering free parking on Boxing Day, while others said parking restrictions will be waived on December 28.

Despite not assigning Boxing Day as a public holiday, the council has announced the libraries will be closed between December 25 and 28, and will reopen as normal on December 29.

It means the council are closing facilities on the Saturday and Monday because it is a public holiday but may still ticket drivers who breach parking rules, because they are not recognising those days as a public holiday.

In a statement, council officers admitted the Boxing Day public holiday “technically” falls on the Monday, yet still refused to lift parking restrictions.

It confirmed: “The council will be treating December 26 as a normal Saturday for parking enforcement and will also charge as normal on December 28.

“This decision [on library opening hours] was taken as it was felt that the vast majority of customers would treat December 26 as Boxing Day, even though technically this year it falls on December 28.”

Free parking at all pay and display facilities will still be available after 3pm, as part of the council's free after three initiative, which runs until January 3.