Concerted pressure from Highgate residents and the Liberal Democrats has paid off, with Haringey Council agreeing to implement much needed extra pay-and-display parking at the Highgate Group Practice.

The move followed questions in Full Council by Highgate councillor and Group Leader Neil Williams, and questioning by local MP Lynne Featherstone at the recent area assembly in Highgate, where Labour’s controversial parking boss agreed to implementation of the scheme by the end of February. This has now been confirmed in a council email to the Lib Dems.

However, the Lib Dems say that Haringey Council’s treatment of Highgate residents over parking issues remains extremely shoddy, with Haringey Council taking far too long to sort out problems with parking controls resulting from mistakes in their own parking schemes, causing misery and frustration for Highgate residents.

Lib Dem candidate in the Highgate by-election, Rachel Allison, says:

“I’m pleased that there are to be more bays at the Highgate Group Practice, but it took some fight. Making parking easier for patients is one of my key pledges, so there must be an election on.However, I do think the charges are unreasonable given the kind of use and users these bays will have, and I will be pressing Haringey Council to look at this as well.”

Cllr Neil Williams (Highgate ward) adds:

“Getting Cllr Haley to take action on his own parking blunders is like drawing blood from a stone, but we will continue to press him until he sorts out the problems of his own making.”

Note:

Further pay and display provision will be provided on a shared use basis (joint resident/pay and display bays). The maximum stay is being increased from 1hr to 2hrs. As part of this proposal the software for the pay and display machines will be amended to allow for motorists to pre-pay within the parking bays i.e. insert money before 10am so that, for example, they can park and pay at 9am, which covers them for the 10am to noon period.