Issue - meetings

(Report of the Interim Director of Urban Environment – To be introduced by the Executive Member for Environment and Conservation):  To inform Members of the results of the statutory consultation undertaken and to set out officer responses to the objections made for the Executive to consider before making  a decision on these schemes

With the consent of our Chair and, having declared a personal interest by virtue of living in the proposed ‘Stop and Shop’ area of Crouch End and Muswell Hill, Councillor Newton addressed our meeting and advised that he had conducted his own survey the findings of which differed from the results of the statutory consultation conducted by officers the results of which were set out in the interleaved report. He expressed concern that the second stage of the consultation had been conducted in the period shortly before Christmas 2006 which was not appropriately timed as it coincided with a busy time for traders. Also, the workshops arranged had not been well attended and may not have been representative of local opinion which he felt was opposed to the proposed scheme. Having expressed the view that a sufficient improvement to parking problems in the area could have been achieved by improved  car park signage and through the use of additional CCTV cameras he suggested that a review of the schemes after six months rather than a year would be more appropriate and help alleviate the concerns of local businesses.   

We noted that a petition containing some 4,000 signatures in favour of the scheme if it were free had been received but was not practicable for enforcement reasons.  We also noted that measures were required to address traffic congestion problems especially at the Crouch End High Street/Muswell Hill junction and that schemes similar to that proposed were operated successfully in other boroughs freeing up parking space and leading to improved levels of trade. 

RESOLVED:

1.      That having considered the objections as set out in the interleaved report, approval be granted to the implementation of the Stop and Shop (Pay and Display) parking schemes at Muswell Hill and Crouch End.

2.      That a further review of the two schemes be conducted 12 months after implementation.