This week I got a call from an annoyed resident of Ridge Road about a large commercial vehicle that had been parked in the street for many months. The resident had reported the vehicle to the Council, but got no response. I took a look and contacted the appropriate department. The tax disc has now expired so I think the Council will now be able to take action.
The parking problems in the area are very bad – so it really annoys residents when businesses use Stroud Green as a car park for their commercial vehicles. But we’ve become a magnet for these vehicles now, because there are so many resident parking zones nearby. When I first got elected as a councillor I tried to organise a some concerted action to move these vans – but it appears the Council’s powers are limited. They say they can only remove these long-stay vehicles if they are out of tax, look unroadworthy or are above a certain size (i.e. a lorry).
A good solution might be for the Council to provide appropriate areas for vans to park – particularly for local residents running small ‘man with a van’ businesses, which are so vital to a community. This is an issue that I know a number of different residents and councillors have raised with the Council – but the idea never gets taken up. I think Haringey should try to be innovative for once and look into doing something that might help residents and local businesses.