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1. The background:
On April 18th 2011 Barnet increased charges in Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs) as follows:
Resident’s Parking Permits:
First car £40 to £100
Second car £70 to £125
Third car £70 to £150
Visitor’s Vouchers
£1 to £4 per voucher – that is for any car for any length of time within one day.
2. Our objections:
· The increases are not needed to cover the cost of running the scheme (they are already in surplus) or to influence behaviour of motorists (the current prices are sufficient to control parking in these areas). This is the legal basis of our argument.
· Barnet are unfairly loading a small proportion of the borough (only 10% of Barnet Residents live in a CPZ) with a disproportionate amount of the borough’s costs.
· The high cost of visitor’s vouchers will be damaging to the community and restrict the lives of everyone in a CPZ- with or without cars. Those who are less mobile and rely on visitors such as the elderly who may rely on carers, family or friends, will be particularly affected. It will be expensive for families with young children to have friends or family visit, or to employ daily childcare. Home workers (therapists, consultants, small businesses) who have clients or employees come to their home. These are just a few who will suffer from this disproportionate increase.
· It will encourage more off street parking destroying our streets and damaging the environment with more hard landscape.
· The increases bare no relation to the cost of inflation.
3. Action:
We have obtained legal opinion, which agrees with our assertion that Barnet Council cannot increase the prices for the purpose of funding other costs, such as road maintenance and believes we have a 65 to 75% chance of success with our action. The RAC and other organisations also agree with the legal argument.
David Attfield, a Barnet resident and a solicitor himself, has volunteered to go to the High Court for a Judicial Review of Barnet Council’s policy, on behalf of this group and of all Barnet residents. This action seeks to set aside the proposed price rises.
David Attfield, a Barnet resident and a solicitor himself, has volunteered to go to the High Court for a Judicial Review of Barnet Council’s policy, on behalf of this group and of all Barnet residents. This action seeks to set aside the proposed price rises.
Papers have been submitted to the courts and we are awaiting the courts permission to proceed with the case and their ruling on our request to cap Barnet’s costs.
Watch this website for updates and news reports, follow us on twitter and see how you can help us. With your support, we have a real chance of saving you from these increases.
We have raised a large proportion of the amount we need to take the case forward but still need more donations.
