We asked, you said, we did

We asked

We asked for your views on our proposal to extend the existing Totteridge and Whetstone Station (TW) Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) to include Manus Way, Blakeney Close, St Margarets Avenue, Totteridge Lane, Baxendale, The Mount and Swan Lane.

This proposal was in response to feedback received on parking displacement caused by non-residential parking.

You said

We received 40 responses out of 346 letters sent to residents outlining the proposed extension. This represents a response rate of 12%.

In total, 80% stated that they experience parking problems on their road with:

• 32.5% of respondents answering “always”
• 47.5% answering “sometimes”
• 20% answering “never”

Overall 62.5% of respondents were in favour of being included in the CPZ

We also received numerous comments on our proposals many of the responses to can be found in our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). The comments include:

• The CPZ appears to be more of a money-making scheme rather than a solution to local parking issues. Cost of living is high and many will struggle to afford permits.
• The CPZ extension will just push parking displacement to other roads close to the proposed boundary.
• Previous CPZ extensions have not brought noticeable improvement in parking availability or reduced commuter parking. There’s no guarantee that this further extension will achieve the intended goals.
• Some of the proposed roads are not near Totteridge and Whetstone Station and are not experiencing parking displacements.
• Where are commuters going to park? Some have no other option but to park on these free roads as there’s no parking at the nearby station.
• Existing TW CPZs were required as most properties do not have driveways. Residents within the extension area have driveways and do not need a CPZ.
• No issues in parking.

We did

We have reviewed all the feedback.

Based on the responses received during the parking engagement and the high levels of parking stress identified during the surveys, it has been agreed that officers will proceed with the extension of the TW CPZ on an experimental basis to include the seven additional roads. The extended CPZ will operate as per the southern section of the existing TW CPZ – Monday to Friday, between 2pm and 3pm.

The parking controls will be designed to mitigate the concerns raised and we will review the impact of the measures after a six-month statutory consultation period and any feedback received will help determine the future of the scheme.

To support the CPZ, we will:

• implement paid for (cashless) parking bays near stations and businesses
• introduce Permit Parking Areas (PPAs) on smaller roads to allow residents with a TW CPZ permit to continue parking as they were
• introduce Double Yellow lines at junctions or bends where identified to improve traffic flow and ensure larger vehicles such as the emergency services can navigate the area safely.

The scheme will be implemented experimentally to enable comments to be made on a live scheme and officers to monitor the effects. We have written to residents with further details on how we will implement the TW CPZ extension on an experimental basis: TW CPZ Extension Pre-implementation Letter.

Further details on the scheme, including how residents can apply for permits will be sent to residents by February 2025.