STOP THIS PLAN!
The Enfield Council is proposing to extend the Arnos Grove Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) to include the Minchenden Estate and increase operating hours to 7 days a week, 8am – 7:30pm. This proposal is unnecessary, unjust, and will impose significant financial burdens on residents.
Complete the Survey: https://letstalk.enfield.gov.uk/arnos-grove-cpz
Why This Matters
This plan isn’t just an inconvenience; it’s a serious threat to our community’s quality of life. Here’s why you should object:
1. Why the CPZ Extension is Unjust
No Evidence of Parking Issues
The proposed CPZ extension is unwarranted. There is NO evidence of parking problems in the Minchenden Estate area that justify such drastic changes. Extending CPZ hours to 7 days a week does not address real parking issues, like overnight parking, and only adds unnecessary burdens on residents.
Council-Created Parking Problems
The Council is manufacturing parking issues by:
- Restrictive Policies: The Enfield Transport Plan (2019) and Climate Action Plan (2020) intentionally limit parking, creating the very displacement issues they now claim to “solve.”
- Bus Lane Installation: Adding a bus lane on Bowes Road removed parking bays, further restricting spaces.
- Overdevelopment: Approving developments like Coppice Wood Lodge with inadequate parking provisions, leading to spillover parking.
- Closure of Arnos Grove Station Car Parks: Removing nearly 300 parking spaces has caused severe parking problems, despite clear warnings. Any costs impacted by such schemes should be borne SOLELY BY DEVELOPERS through Section 106 agreements, NOT by residents.
2. Exorbitant and Unjustified Permit Costs
Inflated Costs
- Original Costs (1997): CPZ permits were £10, with a £2 charge for 10 visitor permits.
- Current Costs: Residents now pay between £38.50 and £197.50 for a one-hour permit, with visitor permits costing £7.50 for 10.
- Proposed Costs: Permit costs could soar to between £77 and £395—up to 3,850% more than in 1997—while visitor permits could rise from £7.50 to £21 for 10!
Why This Matters: The dramatic increase in permit costs far exceeds inflation and is not justified by administrative costs. This is an undue financial burden on residents.
3. Negative Impact on the Community
Harm to Community and Businesses
- Community and Religious Events: Events such as ‘Blues in the Park,’ the ‘Palmers Green Festival,’ and religious ceremonies like weddings and funerals would be disrupted by a lack of available parking.
- Local Businesses: Increased parking costs and reduced parking availability could drive customers away from local shops, harming the local economy.
Why This Matters: The extended CPZ could disrupt community life and hurt local businesses, further eroding the quality of life in our neighbourhood.
4. Legal Grounds for Objection
Unreasonable Decision-Making
Wednesbury Unreasonableness: The decision to expand the CPZ and drastically increase permit costs could be considered so unreasonable that no reasonable authority would have made it. This could be grounds for a legal challenge under the Wednesbury test, which assesses whether a decision is irrational or lacking a proper basis.
Misuse of Environmental Policies
A Shift in Purpose: The Council is using its Climate Action Plan to justify changes that the CPZ was never intended to address. The original purpose of CPZs was to manage parking, not to act as a tool for environmental policy enforcement.
Exceeding Legal Powers: If the Council is using the CPZ scheme to achieve objectives beyond its statutory powers—such as imposing disproportionate penalties under the guise of environmental policy—this could be challenged legally as acting ‘ultra vires’.
Legal Precedent
In Attfield v. London Borough of Barnet (2013), the courts ruled that councils cannot use parking schemes to generate revenue under the guise of environmental protection. This case could support a challenge against the proposed CPZ extension.
Take Action Now!
It is crucial that residents voice their objections to this proposed CPZ extension. The Council’s actions not only place an undue financial burden on residents but also represent a misuse of power that could be challenged legally. Make your voice heard and protect your community from these unfair and unreasonable changes.
How You Can Help
Spread the Word
Share this information with friends, family, and neighbours to ensure our community’s voice is heard loud and clear.
Submit Your Objections by 13 September
Online Submission: Submit Here
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Protect Our Community—Act Now!