National Car Parks has refused to comment on speculation that its contract to operate the NCP car park at The Spires Shopping Centre in High Barnet is about to be relinquished or even terminated.

There have been long running complaints from shoppers about the state of the four-floor car park and NCP’s failure to maintain pay machines in working order.

When asked by the Barnet Society if the company was about to relinquish its contract, a public relations consultancy responded for NCP with a short one-sentence statement:

“NCP manage the car park on behalf of the shopping centre on an ongoing basis and cannot comment on any speculation.”

Barnet Classic Car Club had been hoping to hold its 2022 classic car show on the car park’s top deck in September – repeating the success of last year’s event – but was unable to reach an agreement with NCP.

“NCP have refused to communicate due to a dispute over their contract. The Spires management have been very supportive of us, but NCP have been the blockage,” said a statement from the club.

“However, we are hopeful of returning to The Spires car park in 2023 when it is no longer run by NCP.”

The difficulties encountered by the classic car club have added to the continuing speculation that a new operator might be about to take over the car park.

Rumours about NCP’s tenancy have been fuelled by difficulties shoppers have experienced in getting NCP to sort out problems that result from out-of-order pay machines.

One East Barnet resident, Mike Fanning, is so annoyed by NCP’s failure to maintain the car park and its pay machines, that he has made a formal complaint to NCP’s managing director Rob England and sent copies to the Chipping Barnet MP Theresa Villiers and Barnet Councillors for High Barnet and Barnet Vale.

Mr Fanning’s has backed his complaint with photographs showing badly blocked drains and flooding on the top deck after recent storms.

Of equal concern to him is an infestation of pigeons within the structure of the car park with pigeon droppings piling up in parking bays and walkways creating what he considers is a health issue.

Mr Fanning is in no doubt that action is needed to ensure that the car park is properly cleaned; that 40 defective lighting tubes are replaced; and that there are regular visits by parking meter technicians to ensure the pay machines are kept in working order.

“May I respectfully request of our local MP and local councillors that you give NCP a very serious headache, for we deserve better.

“Please, let’s have it all fixed before winter, with NCP and The Spires management working together to bring The Spires Shopping Centre back to life, so that we have a valued shopping centre to go to.

“I am more than willing to meet with anybody from NCP, our local MP and councillors, and residents’ associations to show just how bad it is,” said Mr Fanning.

Chris Nightingale, organiser of the classic car show, said saga behind the club’s failure to find a venue this year was “a sorry tale”.

Because of the failure to hear back from NCP, the club tried to stage the show during Barnet Summer Fair on the Sunday of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, but Barnet Council failed to respond to the request to close Barnet High Street – as happened during the Christmas Fair – although there were road closures for the Jubilee across the borough.

Attempts to arrange other alternative venues also failed: a request to use the Army Reserve Centre in St Albans Road was rejected and it proved impossible to make any progress over using the vacant car park on the former site of Barnet Market.

Looking ahead to the prospect of a show in 2023, Mr Nightingale said the club hoped to attract around 80 classic cars plus about ten motorcycles.