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Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Is Encouraging Car use the Best Way for Haringey Council to Support Small Business Saturday?

Photo: Hugh Flouch

I'm all for our council supporting Small Business Saturday, but I'm utterly unconvinced the provision free parking for the day as the main plank of its support is the right thing for Haringey Council to do.

Firstly, it encourages driving in a borough where traffic is already a big problem.

Secondly it sends out the message that small businesses rely on car use to thrive - as far as I'm aware that's not true.

Is this just an easy (yet misguided) way for Haringey to support a good initiative. I thought there might more imaginative solutions. The first page of a Google search on 'council support small business saturday' includes announcements on Small Business Saturday by seven councils including Enfield, Merton, Brent, Dudley, Portsmouth, Poole and Mid-Ulster. Five use free parking as their main plank of support. Only Poole and Mid-Ulster don't offer free parking. The last of these seems the post imaginative offering in five towns a 'free family fun and street entertainment in each of the five towns mentioned from 12noon – 2pm including, face painting, balloon modelling and street performances'.

I bet our public transport is much better than MId-Ulster's.

C'mon Haringey. Please do better next year.

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I suspect when they say "overall" they do mean Haringey. However, I suspect that when they say "monitored" it means a few traders have said to them, that was good, same again next year.

And I suspect that traders are very interested in the opportunity to park their own vehicles without charge. 

Some real data on this that shows the balance of loss of iparking income versus increased takings would seem a good idea. What happened to the idea of evidence based decision instead of relying on hearsay?

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