Legal Proceedings Update

A big "thank you" to the 100 people who crowded into the New Local Cafe on 2 June to show their support for the campaign.  It was particularly good to see so many parts of the borough represented.

Legal Proceedings Update:

• Our barrister (Lindsay Johnson of Doughty Street Chambers) has looked again at the case, particularly in light of Barnet's response setting out how they will defend the claim.  He has reconfirmed his advice that we have a strong case: 

"I remain of the view that the challenge has prospects in the region of 65-75%.

In light of the stance taken by Barnet, I would have thought that the prospects are

in the upper end of this range"   

• We also have offers from a number of firms of solicitors willing to act for David Attfield on a "no win, no fee" basis. Lindsay Johnson has also said he would represent David at the trial on a "no win, no fee" basis.
• However, this still leaves the problem of how David is to pay Barnet's costs if he loses. Barnet have now stated that their costs are likely to be around £50,000, an extra-ordinary amount of money for a staight forward judicial review action which largely turns on a single point of law . The Public Law Project suggest that is should be possible for Barnet to defend the claim for no more than £20,000.     

• 

  David Attfield

  We are continuing to explore how to protect David Attfield financially should we lose the case. We will also be appealing against the Court's ruling not to set a limit to David's exposure. 
• In the meantime, please tell the Council, your local councillors and your MP what you think of the CPZ increases. You may know that the council has a new Leader, Councillor Richard Cornelius. He needs to know what the increases mean for you and your family: cllr.r.cornelius@barnet.gov.uk

A WORD OF WARNING

A number of  supporters have received incorrect information telling them that the parking service was running at a loss and that CPZs were being subsidised by the council tax. The Council has refused to say who was responsible for this information.

The information is UNTRUE. Barnet's accounts show that Parking has generated multi-million pound surpluses year in, year out for the Council. Indeed, for the past financial year, the Council has forecast a profit from Parking of well over £4 million. Even before the increases, CPZ residents were contributing  handsomely to road maintenance and other transport services across the borough. 

In the Court case, Barnet have even admitted that Parking was in profit to the tune of millions of pounds. So Barnet are happy for residents to be mislead, but even they won't mislead the Court.