Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Haringey Reveals that Loss of Resident Parking Driven by Traders' Desire for More Customer Parking
N.B. As I understand it, this proposal is not coronavirus related. It would be a permanent change and was proposed prior to the current crisis.
Just over ten days ago, eagle-eyed HoL member Gordon T became one of the few people in the borough to become aware of Haringey's parking proposals which will result in the loss of resident parking. At the time he became aware, there were just three or four days remaining of the consultation period.
Thanks to Gordon posting his discovery on HoL, more people in the community became aware of the changes.
One of those community members noted a procedural failing and as a result has been able to get the Council to extend consultation period extended to this Friday. For that reason, I am writing to post an update should any residents wish to contribute to the consultation.
A full copy of the consultation is attached. In short, it concerns parking at the ends of about 50 roads across the borough (about a dozen of which are in Harringay). The proposal is to convert parking spaces which are currently available for use by both residents and visitors to visitor only spaces.
With some roads already under intense parking pressure, as last year's parking surveys showed, this seems like a retrograde step.
Over the past few days a few things have become clearer.
Firstly, there's little surprise that no one was aware of the proposals, because we've learned that not only was nothing posted online, but only one notice was put up in each of the roads affected.
Secondly, it's become clear that this proposal originates as a reaction to pressure from trader groups to release more parking for their customers.
One resident had a reply to their consultation submission that made the causal link abundantly clear. The reply sent to me in response to my submission, and received just today wasn't so clear on the causal link, but it still made it clear enough:
As you will be aware the council must look to balance the needs of the whole community, and this means both for residents and businesses. It is essential the council supports our businesses to enable them to trade, the provision of short term parking places close to these facilities is one way the council does this. It should also be noted that local businesses help to sustain a local community in the provision of local essential services.
In the context of the current crisis, this is very small beans. But since the Council are pressing ahead with their plans, I wanted to at least make people aware of what's happening, why it's happening and that you still have the opportunity to object or support the proposals. (See Para 4 of the attachment - traffic.orders@haringey.gov.uk)
Given Haringey's supposed stand on reducing car journeys in the borough and given the evidence that car parking isn't required for a healthy high street, this seems to be an extremely strange step.
Over to you.
Tags for Forum Posts: parking
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T18-Share Use to PBP NOP V3.pdf, 270 KB
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by pamish on
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So this is not to do with the need to let NHS workers park at will and the suspension of residents' bays?
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Permalink Reply by Charlotte A on
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No, this is to do with the permanent conversion of parking bays to non-residents bays. To enable more people to drive to shopping areas and park. I suppose if they did this and banned parking on Green Lanes it would be a good swap.
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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Yes, at least that would at least make sense. But that's not part of the plan.
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I'd be more than happy for my road to be entirely mixed visitor/residence parking if there were no parking on Green Lanes.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on
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But this makes no sense. About a third of the business premises between Harringay Green Lanes Station and The Salisbury are restaurant, cafes and pubs which have all shut to “sit in” customers. Add to that the various beauty salons, hairdressers and other non-essential business that have had to shut and it must be knocking around half of the commercial spaces on that part of GL. Surely the need for parking for the remaining business (and I accept that some vulnerable people will not want to be exposed on public transport right now) will have surely reduced or at the most remained at pre-shut down levels?
This sounds like a knee jerk response to a panic reaction by Harringay Traders. Surely that most important thing right now is to keep our streets as clear as possible for emergency services and those carrying out shopping and medicine deliveries for those in isolation?
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As I understand it, this is unrelated to the current crisis. It was proposed as a permanent change before the crisis struck.
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Hi Hugh, where do we submit comments to the council, I can't find it, any chance of a link? Thanks.
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It's in para 4 of the attachment at the bottom of my post - traffic.orders@haringey.gov.uk
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Permalink Reply by Maddy on
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Two separate things are happening at the same time:
1) a temporary halt on enforcement of parking restrictions due to the CV crisis.
2) An attempt by the council to slip in while everyone's attention is elsewhere a terrible proposal that would squeeze available parking (for which we pay annually, remember) at the GL end of the streets, just as it has already been squeezed at the Wightman road end. Because I live close to GL there is already a problem of people temporarily waiting in resident and disabled spaces, even blocking the entrance to a carpark, while someone pops to the shop/takeaway/chemist. No-one seems willing to park at the Arena and walk down to GL, or even find a space nearby (in the Gardens, for example, where they easily could put more pay-and-display bays on the 'across' streets.)
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If anyone is curious about the level of research that the council does on this kind of decision, this is what they said when questioned about the rationale behind free parking spaces for small business Saturday:
Haringey Council supports Small Business Saturday. It is a commitment of the Council in the draft Business Pledge within the draft Borough Plan. The free parking element of SBS is a specific request of traders which we will review before committing to it again next year in the context of additional measures the Council is considering in support of high street traders and the December SBS initiative. No research has been carried out on the impact of the parking concession. However, SBS overall is monitored and all high street trader groups involved have reported increased footfall, improved consumer spend and positive engagement by local residents in the initiative.
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