MP Receives 3,400 Signature Petition Calling For A Few Free Parking Bays

4.39.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 6th Nov 2006

Lynne Featherstone MP and Councillor Martin Newton, Lib Dem Spokesperson for Traffic Issues receiving petition from Andrew Rowan, Local Trader

Lynne Featherstone, Lib Dem MP for Hornsey & Wood Green, has received a petition signed by over 3,400 local residents calling for a few more free short-term parking bays along one section of Muswell Hill Broadway.

The signatures were collected before the recent Stop and Shop schemes were dreamt up by the Council, and in which, their "big idea" in response to these calls from local people, was to swamp the area with pay and display.

Virtually no one wants the Pay and Display schemes the Council is proposing, as shown by the Lib Dem revelation that of 724 responses to the Stop and Shop consultation in Muswell Hill, just 9 were in favour of the proposals.

All the Council had to do to satisfy all these people was to install a few more free parking bays along one section of the Broadway and to provide clear warning that CCTV was being used to enforce parking, which was also being requested.

Ms. Featherstone comments:

"The size of this petition shows the shear strength of feeling locally on this issue and I will be passing this petition to the Chief Executive of Haringey Council asking her to make sure the views of these people are fully taken into account.

"Local residents and traders have been virtually unanimous in rejecting what the Council is offering, so I simply don't see how they can go ahead with such a clear majority against."

Councillor Martin Newton, Lib Dem Spokesperson for Traffic Issues adds:

"It would make a mockery of the democratic process if they went ahead with these pay and display schemes in the face of such obvious opposition. It would also make you question the considerable sums of money Haringey Council have spent on consultation if they proceed and continue to ignore what local people say.²

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

The wording of the petition is as follows

I support the petition to amend parking restrictions outside 219-500 Muswell Hill Broadway, N10.

1. To allow parking from 9.30am to 4.30pm, Monday to Saturday, for 2 hours [no return for 2 hours] on single yellow lines.

2. For 4 large signs clearly displaying camera enforcement from 7am to 9.30am and from 4.30pm to 6.30pm, Monday to Saturday.

3. I have not signed this petition in any other shop.