Barnet (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Over 700 Underhill ward residents sign petition protesting Barnet Council’s controlled parking zone plans, citing concerns over congestion and community impact.
To assist reduce “extremely high levels of parking stress,” the council has suggested imposing limits on certain areas of Mays Lane and the other roads.
The council said it had received “complaints and petitions” over parking displacement and safety concerns “south of Barnet Hospital” in the run-up to a consultation that was held during the summer.
The council first considered the possibility of expanding the Barnet Hospital CPZ which is situated north of the suggested area. However, they decided it was not a “feasible option” as it would create “more congestion” and be challenging to introduce and enforce.
The proposed CPZ (Underhill South) would provide “consistent parking management across a bigger area” and would operate Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6.30 p.m., at the same time as the Barnet Hospital CPZ.
However, Jon Woolfson, founder of the Underhill Residents Group, who launched the petition which has 734 signatures, has said opposition to this new CPZ was overwhelming.
He said:
“There might be some residents who might have an issue with hospital parking but the vast majority of people who live either side of Mays Lane do not experience any difficulty in parking and have not complained to the council.
We are very concerned about the accuracy of the council’s claim that there are ‘extremely high levels of parking stress in most roads within the proposed area’ and we are calling on the council’s highway department to publish details of their survey.”
A summary of the 471 respondents to the consultation revealed that, although official results have not yet been released, 400 opposed the idea and 49 supported it.
When asked how often they had parking issues, 333 respondents stated they “never” had them, 90 said they did so occasionally, and 46 said they did so constantly.
In response to the petition, a council spokesperson said:
“We are reviewing the outcome of the informal parking engagement and other feasibility studies to determine the requirement for parking controls in the area.
As soon as a decision has been made an update will be provided to all residents and business owners in the informal parking engagement area of the next steps.”
What legal grounds challenge a CPZ decision in Barnet?
A legal challenge to a Controlled Parking Zone( CPZ) decision in Barnet can be predicated on the abuse of statutory powers, particularly if the council is set up to be acting beyond its legal authority under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984( RTRA 1984).
The council must use the powers granted under Section 45 of the RTRA 1984 lawfully. Charging residents for parking permits must be rigorously related to the operation of the parking scheme. Generating a fat to fund other unconnected transport or general popular purposes is unlawful.
Residents can apply for a judicial review if they believe the council’s decision is illogical, unlawful, or procedurally indecorous. Still, rationality challenges are harder to succeed on than arguments grounded on the council exceeding its statutory powers.