Lynne Featherstone

Received a late evening yesterday from Cllr Lyn Weber (Crouch End) about the residents of Claremont and Stanhope roads in the Highgate / Crouch End area who are now in a completely desperate situation re parking. What has happened is that with the advent of the Highgate Station CPZ, the Hillside CPZ (on the Islington side of the borough boundary) etc - this little enclave of roads finds itself much sought after. The still free parking there is now used by some people in the streets with a CPZ so that they don't have to pay, seemingly all the motor repair shops who want to park the cars they are working on somewhere (and they arrive four at a time on vehicle transporters), and all the other people who want to park for the station or wherever - and these streets are the last, nearest ones left available.

The consequence is that residents cannot get to park anywhere near their houses - if they can find space at all - and now want a CPZ themselves, not surprisingly.

I have written to Haringey Council about this anyway - and am waiting for a response. But Cllr Weber has met briefly with Brian Haley and been told that there is no funding before 2008/09. It really can't wait. And given that these schemes bring in a revenue streams for the council you would not think it beyond their wit to borrow from the 08/09 fund to bring the implementation of a CPZ forward - and then pay back out of the early proceeds?

So - Lyn had organised to meet a few of the local residents to look at the situation and decide a way forward. Even though it is mid-August and many people are away - still the parking stress was clear. And several young mothers came with their children to emphasize the fact that if you have young children, buggies, shopping etc - parking a ten minute walk from your front door is a nightmare. Another women was telling me that she was often having to park such a distance a way that she had to walk alone down a street where she was actually scared to do so alone at night.

Cllr Lyn Weber will be organising a meeting with Brian Haley as soon as possible. He had suggested October - but we want that meeting now!

Comments

1. Simon Brind says:

   21 August 2007 at 9:00 pm

   I'm starting to see the same thing on Shepherds Hill as well; the people who parked in Priory Gardens prior to the CPZ around Highgate Tube station are now parking outside my block about half way down Shepherds Hill.

   The other day I had to park on Stanhope Road as it was the only place within five minutes of my flat.

   I'm not a fan of a CPZ (although I suspect I would have been had I lived closer to Highgate Tube).
2. Anonymous says:

   12 April 2008 at 4:45 pm

   Nothing happening?The streets are congested with commuter parking.Emergency vehicles and all manner of large vehicle cannot negotiate the roads. No enforcement. Anyone out their proposing to relieve this situation.