Barnet Council confirms full-scale parking review

4:25pm Tuesday 22nd May 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Chris Hewett

New cabinet member for environment Councillor Dean Cohen New cabinet member for environment Councillor Dean Cohen

Changes to parking charges and payment methods in Barnet will be introduced alongside a full-scale policy review, the council has confirmed.

New cabinet member for environment Councillor Dean Cohen confirmed this afternoon that a series of changes will be implemented to the unpopular schemes introduced by his predecessor Brian Coleman.

Among the changes are half-day visitor vouchers for CPZs priced at £2.20, the introduction of credit card machines in eight council car parks and discounts on parking vouchers given to businesses to increase their availability.

A 50p charge for a 15 minute parking stay will also be looked at in a bid to revive trade for local businesses who rely on customers popping into their shops.

Cllr Cohen said: “I appreciate that many people just want to nip into a couple shops and this would make it much easier. I have asked officers to explore the possibility of introducing such a voucher although we have to look at the economics of this.

“I will also launch a review of parking prices in each of our town centres and major shopping parades. We need to strike a balance between ensuring there is a steady turnover of spaces for cars in these areas but also that people have time to shop. I will be consulting with businesses in each of these centres before coming to a final decision.”

The Golders Green representative has also scrapped plans to bring in charges to four of the six remaining free car parks in the borough.

An announcement on the remaining two in Brunswick Park will not be made until after the ward’s by-election due to election rules, though Conservative candidates have already announced the charges have been scrapped in their campaign leaflets.

Further plans to introduce fees to the Dawes Lane car park have also been scrapped, though Cllr Cohen has asked for a review of the operation of the car park to manage commuter parking.

He added: “I have also asked officers to review the pricing in our council run car parks. Following feed back from residents and businesses, I am not convinced that our pricing is set at the correct level for either business or the council.

“But I have to warn people that all of this takes place against a background of the council having to raise an income to repair roads, pavements and potholes.”

Comments(19)

nlygo says...
5:14pm Tue 22 May 12

kol tov! (all good!)

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Mrs Angry, Broken Barnet blog says...
5:27pm Tue 22 May 12

some common sense is breaking on the Tory horizon at last ... but the Tory candidate's team in Brunswick Park has delivered leaflets making electoral advantage from a claim that the two car parks in the ward have been 'saved' from the Conservatives own barking parking scheme, despite the fact the decision has not been made. Will this apparent breach of rules be subject to investigation & action?

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harvey_uk says...
6:26pm Tue 22 May 12

At last future vision from a councillor who wants to keep his job after the next election!

I think it’s 'all good', thats in English 'nlygo', in this English newpaper, reporting on news in a small area of England.

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Anonymousnw7 says...
6:29pm Tue 22 May 12

Nice to see how the removal of one dictator at the Council can restore democracy to a whole area.

Shame about Daws Lane car park though - that's one car park that could do with charging a small hourly rate to relieve the congestion in it, mainly due to overflow from commuters and staff working in the Broadway. It is really badly needed for users of the park.

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golders green spokesman says...
7:00pm Tue 22 May 12

dont get carried away they will make more money he wont say what the charge will be each time to pay with a card
nice to see he is trying to do somthing but what are you doing for the people who voted you in. in golders green

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BarnetTrader says...
7:45pm Tue 22 May 12

We are moving very much in the right direction - but until we see concrete change nothing is certain.

Sadly our older customers are still being ignored: there is no provision for paying with cash. Why cannot we do what the City and many other towns have done: give all the options including cash.

I'm sure local Trader groups would happily volunteer to empty the car park meters - now that's localism!

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golders green spokesman says...
7:56pm Tue 22 May 12

this will go done well with the review in court
ha ha
dean you will be the fall person in the council
now not so clever taking over coleman

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educated says...
10:21am Wed 23 May 12

I expect Brian Coleman is quaking in his shoes! Presumably any new proposals have to come to a Council Committee. Could BC vote against them there?

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golders green spokesman says...
10:30am Wed 23 May 12

Don't you know if one votes against party polices one gets thrown out the party

So therefore BC will have to vote for new changes

Ha ha

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educated says...
10:34am Wed 23 May 12

Let us encourage him to stand by his principles and vote against !!

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golders green spokesman says...
11:30am Wed 23 May 12

old jewish saying once one falls from power they fall all the way
which ever way coleman is a losser

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simples169 says...
11:31am Wed 23 May 12

why do they have to balance up income from parking to pay for road repairs/pavements ect. what do we pay an extortionate amount in road tax for ? thats meant to pay for the up keep of roads ect. just get it off the government. it just seems we keep paying twice for the same things. No wonder the British public have no money to spend

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educated says...
11:33am Wed 23 May 12

GGS, when you said "Coleman is a losser" Did you mean to spell that with a T ?!!

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golders green spokesman says...
11:37am Wed 23 May 12

I am trying to be nice not nice to hit a person when there down

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Barnet Parker says...
12:54pm Wed 23 May 12

I'm sure one of Barnet's enterprising bloggers will be able to inform us how much money the council have wasted over this sorry saga - and then Coleman can be surcharged!

His golden goodbye from the GLA might cover it.

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educated says...
12:06am Thu 24 May 12

Just keep an eye on this one - when is the review due to start (and how long will it take?).

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goldenwatcher says...
5:20pm Fri 25 May 12

Mrs Angry, Broken Barnet blog wrote:
some common sense is breaking on the Tory horizon at last ... but the Tory candidate's team in Brunswick Park has delivered leaflets making electoral advantage from a claim that the two car parks in the ward have been 'saved' from the Conservatives own barking parking scheme, despite the fact the decision has not been made. Will this apparent breach of rules be subject to investigation & action?
@Mrs Angry
Yes dead right
"some common sense is breaking out on the Tory horizon at last.." yes yes yes!
Off topic but I hear the Council has gone out to Conultation on a Barnet wide ban on street drinking Not before time Brent did this years ago I just hope the local Police will support it rigoursly Often those involved in this vile anti-socal habit don't even live in the vicinity of where they drink!

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goldenwatcher says...
5:25pm Fri 25 May 12

The changes to parking charges and operation of car parking in Barnet are welcome but do they go far enough?

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Mr Reasonable says...
4:28pm Mon 28 May 12

Sorry to be a doom monger but until we have seen the outcome of this review I remain sceptical. 50p for 15 minutes and you still have to pay by phone or credit card. How is that going to help shops or the person who simply wants to nip in for a newspaper of pint of milk.Not only is the parking revenue subsidising roads but it also subsidises the £10 million a year the council is charged by the GLA for Freedom passes. If Boris makes more Freedom passes available they will simply bill Barnet for more which will in turn push up parking charges again. What we need is a parking policy where charges simply reflect the cost of administering parking and not a way to generate income. That has to be the starting point for Cllr Cohen's review.

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