Barnet Hospital said to be in “constructive discussions” with Barnet Council over car parking pressure on nearby roads

Community organisations have welcomed assurances that Barnet Hospital will try to reduce the pressure which car parking by hospital staff, patients and visitors is placing on surrounding residential roads.
Plans for a further expansion of the ever-widening controlled parking zones around the hospital are meeting a barrage of criticism from householders who are forced to pay for parking permits.
Barnet Council officials are understood to have suggested to the Royal Free Hospital Trust that the management at Barnet should look for ways to alleviate the problem.
Nearby residents could not be expected to acquiesce as more and more local streets become a parking lot for the hospital, necessitating the introduction of an ever-expanding CPZ.

Residents’ associations understand that the trust will now examine what more can be done to increase the capacity of the hospital’s own car parks off Wellhouse Lane – by making better use of the space available – and by taking over vacant sites.
Currently Barnet Hospital has insufficient parking space for its own staff and a request for yet another increase in the undisclosed number of on-street parking permits – which are already issued for staff use – has apparently been refused.
News of what are said to be “constructive discussions” between the council and the hospital follow in the wake of further expansion of Barnet Hospital CPZ.

This has recently been extended – despite strong local resistance – to take in seven roads around Ryecroft Crescent, on the Arkley side of Quinta Drive.
Almost 80 per cent of the residents who replied to a consultation were against the introduction of a CPZ extension, but the council has gone ahead with a widening of the zone on what officials say is “an experimental basis”.
There was further uproar last month when the council held consultations on the proposed Underhill South CPZ – a new CPZ which would introduce restrictions and permits in 29 roads, including several cul-de-sacs, which are on either side of Mays Lane, extending from the junction with Manor Road all the way westwards to the junction with Shelford Road.
A council survey was said to have shown that there were “extremely high levels of parking stress” in most of the roads surrounding Mays Lane caused by the extra demand for spaces from hospital staff, patients and visitors.
But residents say a CPZ over such a wide area – extending to the Dollis Valley riverside walk – is completely unnecessary and would become extremely expensive for residents.
The Quinta Green Residents Association and the Underhill Residents Association – which are both claiming there is overwhelming opposition to a new CPZ – said they had been urging strategic solutions to the problems caused by the hospital.

They believed the hospital’s existing car parks could be reconfigured to take more vehicles and that vacant land around the hospital – such as the site above at the Wellhouse Lane-Wood Street junction – should be brought into use.
The two associations say one option might be for the hospital to reach agreements with local organisations including schools and clubs to see whether it was possible to rent additional parking spaces.
Tags: #Barnet Council #Development #Planning
This morning (13/9) it appears that the lower staff car park is being re-surfaced. Surely there are better things to spend their money on!
A multi storey like at Chase Farm is needed for patients. Staff car parks are never full when I visit for appts. I have now given up even trying to park there as it causes additional stress circling the car park hunting for a free spot. I am lucky and can get there by bus, well 2, but others aren’t and have ability issues and this in turn then puts pressure on the patient transport system if people cannot park and escort them to appts.
A lot of people attending hospital aren’t able to cycle. More lunacy from the cycle brigade.
Why not knock down Thames House and build a multi-storey car park. The building is already niarddd up and not used.
I think another level of parking should be added to some of the existing car parking areas on site.
Look at Kingston Hospital. Relatively low cost and fairly quick to build.
Just a thought.
A better idea would be to build a multi story car park on the existing staff parking area or on one of the other parking areas.
Definitely utilise areas that are currently scrub land or derelict buildings.
Re introduce A&E departments at other hospital sites to take the pressure off BG Hospital.
Start a ‘rent a space’ scheme with any local residents who are willing to allow staff to park on their drives.
What about if local businesses/residents were encouraged to promote their empty car parking space/drives on JustPark.com to increase capacity? Could the Spires shopping centre be used – it has a new monthly permit scheme and a bus outside that goes to the hospital? Does it need to be open later/earlier? (https://www.thespiresbarnet.co.uk/newspost/monthly-parking-permits/). How can they make an absolutely secure cycle store to shift people to active travel?