CAMPAIGNERS hoping for 30 minutes free parking say they are “still in the dark”.

The Times Series launched a campaign for 30 minutes free parking last year with the Barnet Society, and our plight was aired on ITV’s Parking Wars last October.

It was broadcast again last night and shopkeepers and drivers say they are still hopeful Barnet Council will change their minds.

But since it was first aired, Barnet Society chairman Nicholas Jones say the group have heard nothing from the council and progress has been slow.

He said: “We are in the dark and just feel the council is continuing to rise rough shot over us. The council’s policy is just to ignore us and to ignore you.

“The council has no consideration for the people that live here. So many businesses like hairdressers are really struggling on the highstreet because people can't just pop in.

A film crew followed Time Series’ chief reporter Anna Slater and Nicholas Jones from the Barnet Society as they spoke to residents angered by the charges.

Barnet council limited the amount of free parking on the high street and introduced cashless parking machines in 2010, meaning motorists must pay £1 to park for half an hour using a credit card or mobile phone. The Times Series campaign attracted 5 000 signatures but a motion put forward by The Barnet Times to introduce 30 minutes of free parking was defeated by one vote in March last year.

Barnet Society now have plans to stage an event on the anniversary of the campaign's launch to drum up more support and to mark a year since it began.

They say that many of the high street's 68 parking spaces are not being used by drivers because they are, “frightened to stop” and local businesses are suffering as a result.

Mr Jones said: “Our estimate is that less than half of parking spaces between the tube station and Hadley Green are being used, so the other half could be used to allow a period of free parking.”

The group also argue that the payment system is too confusing. Barnet has long argued that free parking is not the answer to help bring shoppers into the area.

Mr Jones says he has received a positive reaction from viewers since the show went out. “The general view is I said what needed to be said and we as a group have been congratulated for actually trying to put some pressure on the council.”

Cafe owner Helen Michael, who runs Buzz Cafe on the High Road, North Finchley, was filmed arguing that the charges and complicated payment method had put off potential customers.

She says customers still complain about the situation daily. “It is most definitely still affecting the business.

"Daily customers will moan that they haven’t got a phone and don’t want to leave credit card details.

“I watched the programme again last night and it brought it all back, the way Barnet totally ignored us and looked down their nose at us. There is no such thing as democracy in Barnet.”


A Barnet Council spokesperson said: “The way people use their high streets is changing and there is little evidence to suggest that borough-wide free-parking would boost trade – in fact, London Councils has suggested that blanket free parking periods would be damaging to high streets*. The rise of the internet has been challenging for all our retailers, from the small independents to high street chains. 

“We know that the vast majority of people do not travel by car to reach their local town centres. Our parking policy takes a tailored approach to each of our town centres, part of which is doing what we can to make sure we have enough parking places available on the high street. 

“We are committed to supporting our town centres, which is why we’ve invested £4.2 million to improve them since 2011. What is most important to shoppers and where we can make a real difference is influencing the look and feel of our high-streets.”