Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Protesting Against Barnet Council

Extreme hay-fever knocked me out for a couple of days. I got up to do some singing in the kitchen, and also to write and post a letter to Barnet Council, who have made a very odd decision to close down the parking on one side of the High Street, and put loading bays in the tiny street where I live, and Salisbury Road which is also very narrow in places; all the extra cars would have to disperse... wherever.
You'd think if they were going to send vast quantities of heavy traffic down little residential streets like ours that they would tell the residents.
Many of our houses have front doors that open directly on to the pavement, where overtaking 4x4s often mount in order to overtake bin lorries and each other. It's so dangerous and dirty, and this is going to make it worse.
We worked out that it would be impossible for a fire engine to get down the street, for instance.
Quietly, the council changed a plan to make dropped pavements and extra parking in the High Street, into one where there are trees in pots (too many services under the pavement to plant them properly), bins, and extra benches so people can sit and look at the closed down shops that won't be able to survive because people won't come to them if they can't park anywhere near them.
They didn't tell any of us who would be affected and we found out purely by chance.
The petition against this plan signed by well over 1000 people, and letters of protest (I posted mine today) might not make any difference.
They are a terrible council who seem to do what they want, drastically cutting services that help people in need and spending stupid amounts of money on architects plans (three so far) for modifications to a perfectly adequate High Street. Their parking policy drives people to purple steaming distraction, and the traffic warden must get through at least 30 biros a week.
I would much rather that they spent the money they have wasted on drawing up complicated and divisive plans on social care and libraries, and I collected a lot of signatures on the petition on Friday, including one from the vicar.
Barnet Council, be ashamed!


1 comment:

Wilky of St Albans said...


If you haven't already done so - go and rattle the cages of your three local ward councillors. It's what they're there for. And you are absolutely right about the 'Fire Engine Test'. A good reason for banning Range Rover owners from narrow streets like yours