Parking management in North Finchley has, over the last few years, been a costly disaster.

Pay-by-coin meters updated, higher charges, meters removed, confusing systems replacing them and yet more price hikes. Almost from the moment pay-by-phone was introduced, businesses and customers alike have suffered the discriminatory inflexibility that these meters have caused. So it will have come as immense relief to the community when, back in March, the council decided to comprehensively review the situation.

Barely a month passed by and a swift decision was indeed made – to defer the debate on reintroducing pay-by-coin meters until 2015 – at the earliest.

Councillor Brian Gordon, who headed the review, was reported to have recently stated: “In hindsight, it was a move too fast to get rid of them in the way we did.” A move too fast? This coming from a contradictory council who are now saying, in effect, we can’t make up our minds today, about a ridiculously miscalculated decision then, because it might be too expensive to reintroduce in the future. Taking inflation into account it’s bound to cost taxpayers more.

When 2015 comes around and another committee sits and dithers, how might Barnet Borough Council think businesses, which have continued to struggle or gone bust, will feel then? Perhaps they may come to state at that time: “Looking back, it was a move too slow.” What kind of leadership is that when it was the council who orchestrated all these immensely costly changes in the first place.

The very same group who queried the relatively small cost – approximately £20,000 – that it would have taken to reintroduce pay-by-coin. This coincides with the North Finchley town team having managed to raise £1.1million through the Mayor of London’s Outer London Fund, of which £380,000 was added by Barnet Council. Cllr Richard Cornelius was reported to state: “It has been important to support our local economies... I hope the local traders and residents will will now keep the ball rolling.”

New trees, pretty street lighting, plaques and park benches are all well and good but, in order to make the regeneration of a community sustainable, the first port of call has to be ease of public access. And that, of course, is where the issue of parking comes in. It’s a question of relative balance.

Of course, meter security and collection costs have to be taken into consideration. But would Barnet’s neighbouring council – Hertsmere – have utilised pay-by-coin if they didn’t feel the benefits far outweighed its limitations? Absolutely not. So why is it so hard for Barnet Council to adopt a system that carries the same collective advantages?

The following figures as on May 3 demonstrate how two local communities – North Finchley and Potters Bar – provide glaringly different services to its respective communities.

Potters Bar has pay-by-coin meters throughout its streets. Its prices are as follows: first 30 minutes – free, 1 hour – 20p, 1-2hrs – £1, 2-3hrs – £1.50, 3-4hrs – £2 and 4-5hrs – £3.

North Finchley does not have pay-by-coin. Its prices are as follows: first 30 minutes – 65p, 1 hour – £1.30, 1-1.5hrs – £1.95, 1.5-2hrs – £2.60 and over 2hrs – £3.25.

So, as you can see, whilst Hertsmere Council has completely got its head screwed on, the same cannot be said for Barnet Council. For the community of Potters Bar it’s a win-win situation. But for the businesses and residents of North Finchley, the complete opposite is the case. The split between Labour and the Conservatives within Barnet Council on this issue is very clear. Labour has suggested that they would move for an immediate reintroduction of pay-by-coin; whilst the Tories will merely think about the issue in 2015.

Businesses need to be supported effectively; whilst the public need to be encouraged to come offline to realise, once again, the advantages of being able to shop locally.

J R Simms

Via email