Wednesday, 01 June 2016 11:45

High Barnet’s CPZ to double in size?

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Map of proposed new Controlled Parking Zone Map of proposed new Controlled Parking Zone
Residents are being consulted about the possibility of a massive extension to High Barnet’s controlled parking zone to cope with uncontrolled off-street car parking and traffic congestion following recent expansion at Barnet Hospital.

Roads in a wide area around the hospital are increasingly being filled by the vehicles of outpatients, staff and visitors who wish to avoid paying the charges imposed in the hospital’s own car parks.

Local householders have until Wednesday 15 June to respond to what is described as an “informal parking consultation” to see whether there is support for the introduction of parking controls.

Existing and proposed controlled parking zoneThe area covered by the parking review extends from the existing town centre controlled parking zone all the way westwards – on both sides of Wood Street and Barnet Road – to include Quinta Drive; from Galley Lane and Old Fold View in the north to Whitings Road in the south; and to Leecroft Road in the east.

Barnet Council says it has launched the consultation because of concern about the “high level of perceived ‘non-resident’ parking in the uncontrolled roads around Barnet Hospital resulting in fewer places for residents to park”.

Subject to the level of support, the council would introduce controls to deter all day commuter-type parking, protect residents’ parking, allow for visitor parking, and improve parking layout and traffic flow.

If roads were included in a new CPZ resident parking bays and yellow line waiting restrictions would be marked on the street and residents wishing to park in the resident bays would need to purchase a valid permit.

Pressure for the CPZ to be extended has come from residents in the roads closest to the hospital, and especially in streets to the north of Wood Street and Barnet Road where there is additional uncontrolled parking caused by the vehicles of pupils and parents at Queen Elizabeth’s Boys School.

At the busiest times of the day there is considerable congestion when coaches and mini-buses are dropping off and collecting pupils.

To the south of Wood Street and Barnet Road, ambulances and the cars of para-medics approaching and leaving Barnet Hospital have to cope with congested roads such as Wellhouse Lane and Elmbank Avenue.

Parked vehicles restrict the flow of traffic and anger residents who struggle to gain access to their properties because of the cars parked by outpatients rushing to appointments or parents waiting for their children.

Residents fear there will be further pressure on parking spaces in and around Galley Lane and Elmbank Avenue once Linden Homes has completed the construction of 114 new homes on the site of the former nurses’ homes at Elmbank.

When Linden Homes obtained planning permission, the developers promised it would contribute to a traffic survey in the area.

Residents can respond to an on-line questionnaire at www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/BarnetHospitalInformalConsultation or request a paper copy by phoning 020 8359 or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

See link below to download proposed map

15 comments

  • Comment Link Wednesday, 01 June 2016 12:46 posted by Andrew

    why have roads such as Wentworth, Byng and Sebright been left off? These are suffering hugely from non-resident parking. You only have to walk around wentworth road to see the nunber of commercial vehicles being parked. Fo example, there's been a large minbus parked there for the last week!!!

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  • Comment Link Wednesday, 01 June 2016 15:19 posted by Marie Les Bas Bleus

    Should I say that I am surprised but I'm not... surprised it took so long to be brought forward... anything to make money these days seems to be Flavour of the Month ...

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  • Comment Link Friday, 03 June 2016 11:42 posted by Andrew

    By extending here all you will do is push traffic elsewhere!!. end of StAalbans road is a war zone on crap parking and fly tipping. Wentworth, Bin and Seabright roads are a monstrosity.... Sort it out. The roads such as Granville etc are wide and can cope. don't push more traffic on smaller roads and st albans that is already experiencing 1 serious accident a year!!!

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  • Comment Link Friday, 03 June 2016 13:31 posted by Fiona Jennings

    The issue is the hospital car park pricing and not enough space despite the top end laying derelict for so long. Why should residents be forced to pay for residents permits and visitors restricted to see them. they need to follow Finchley memorial hospital - free for 3 hours any longer then charge. Open up the rest of car park. This will free up space

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  • Comment Link Friday, 03 June 2016 17:44 posted by Jeremy Parker

    One issue with controlled parking is that it needs to be made easy to pay, especially for visitors to the hospital, who are likely to be unfamiliar with the system, and under stress. Something, and I suspect payment problems, has almost eliminated anyone parking on the A1000 across the village green between Barnet High Street, and the end of controlled parking at Hadley Highstone. Of course, the easier it is to use the system, the higher the price needs to be to control demand

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  • Comment Link Saturday, 04 June 2016 21:28 posted by Patrick Slade

    How in heavens name was Barnet General given permission to extend without any attempt to take care of their own parking problems.
    Nobody seems to care that the infrastructure cannot cope with the traffic (not to mention other problems). The residents will continue to suffer deteriorating facilities because of this.
    Force the hospital to move to a properly serviced accessible site in a non residential remote area away from a town centre with an elderly road system.
    Barnet simply cannot cope and it is unreasonable for residents to suffer any further congestion.

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  • Comment Link Monday, 06 June 2016 15:41 posted by AK 57

    I will happily pay whatever it takes to prevent selfish motorists that use BGH from parking over my drive and blocking me in.

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  • Comment Link Thursday, 09 June 2016 21:03 posted by anon

    As a student nurse, I do not qualify for a staff parking permit. On my paltry bursary, I cannot afford to pay £10 per shift to park in the hospital car park. When I qualify later this year, I will still not qualify for a parking permit as I live too near (the next town). There is no alternative but to park in the surrounding roads. I totally agree that the fault lies with the hospital and this problem has been exacerbated by the Royal Free takeover that introduced car park restrictions. At the end of a 14 hour day, I still have to walk 20 mins or more to get to my car (that is ALWAYS parked with consideration for residents). I'm exhausted. It seems unfair that hospital staff are being penalised for the hospital's unfair parking policy. For all you NIMBYs, just think how the introduction of a larger CPZ could impact on the level of care you and your loved ones
    receive in BH when there are fewer staff or those that provide your care are simply too knackered to provide optimal care.

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  • Comment Link Sunday, 10 July 2016 11:46 posted by CB

    I also work for the care of Barnet residents and face parking issues at my place of work. I get the bus. If night buses are a problem, let's campaign for night buses from/to BGH.

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  • Comment Link Monday, 11 July 2016 08:23 posted by AK 57

    Re the student nurse. If you were doing your training at a central London teaching hospital then your travel costs would be in excess of £10 per day.

    FYI - we are not all NIMBYs, some of us like to be able to get our cars of our drives so that we too can go to work and then return home later and be able to park reasonably close to our homes - not in the next borough.

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  • Comment Link Saturday, 16 July 2016 14:35 posted by CazJ

    The problem is undoubtedly caused by the ridiculously high charges in the hospital car park. If these were more reasonable, or as one person suggested were free for the first 3 hours, then the sick and needy could afford to use the car park and would not need to park in the surrounding streets. And of course the parking should also be free for the staff. This is just yet another way for the council to get money! My road is very near to the hospital and we have no issues parking, and do not want a extension to the parking restrictions area at all! Sort the car park out for god sake, reduce the charges and stop being so money grabbing!

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  • Comment Link Wednesday, 14 December 2016 21:27 posted by CAR

    Use public transport if you don't want to pay for parking at the hospital - don't park your BMW over my driveway and block me in - same car - same times - probably work at the hospital. Can afford a BMW can afford to pay your parking - cheap skate!!!
    Controlled Parking all residential roads around the hospital plus employ more traffic wardens.

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  • Comment Link Sunday, 09 April 2017 21:38 posted by mark greatorex

    The parking consultation was a farce. Designed by the Elmbank developers to provide parking spaces for their new buyers.
    They have failed to provide enough parking on site.

    They contributed £50,000 towards a scheme that will provide a CPZ only in the roads in the immediate vicinity of their development.

    It will help no one but their buyer and a few unfortunates in Wellhouse Close who don't have off street parking.

    Everyone else has off street parking so will park in their own driveway.
    This will leave spare permits for the new Elmbank residents to buy up.
    Congestion will be the same in the area with the CPZ.

    The rest of us in the consultation area will of course suffer especially those without off street parking namely the Oakmede in Bells Hill and West End Lane corner.

    Before long we may have to travel miles to park legally.

    This needn't happen but do people care enough?

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  • Comment Link Wednesday, 12 December 2018 22:12 posted by Wellside Close

    Information released under a Freedom of Information request shows that 151 Penalty Charge Notices were issued in October 2018 in Wellside Close (near Barnet Hospital).

    In October 2017, when the CPZ was not in place, just 10 Penalty Charge Notices were issued in Wellside Close.

    At £55 per PCN, that is £8,305 made by Barnet Council in October 2018 compared to £550 in October 2017.

    As mentioned in one of the posts above, Wellside Close has no white lines (parking bays) painted. If you miss the signs at the beginning of the road and park your car, you risk a PCN.

    Hope this helps answer what the CPZ has achieved.

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  • Comment Link Friday, 21 December 2018 16:55 posted by Wellside Close

    £12,100 in 2 months from Penalty Charge Notices in Wellside Close.

    After a Freedom of Information Act request, 69 PCNs were issued in Wellside Close in November 2018. This compares to just 6 in November 2017 when the CPZ was not in place.

    Taking into consideration the PCNs issued in October 2018 (above) that is a total of 220 in 2 months compared with 16 for the same 2 months last year.

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