Richard Wilson

Last week I held a meeting with parking officials to discuss the implementation of the new Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) extension in Stroud Green.  As I mentioned in my previous post, residents were concerned about how long they would have to wait for the controls to be introduced in roads like Mount View, Quernmore and Granville. The nearby Crouch End CPZ extension is taking effect in early April, but at a recent meeting with residents officers said it would take until November to implement the CPZ extension in Stroud Green ward – leaving over 6 months of extra parking pressure.

I raised these concerns at the meeting, and Council officers have now agreed to revise the timetable, and think they could have the new CPZ extension up and running in the new roads by September.  This would mean having the final statutory consultation in April/May, and if no big issues are raised during the consultation, the signs and road markings could be put in place during August.  Obviously this still leaves a long gap – but its great news that we’ve been able to reduce it by 2 months.

However, on the hours of the CPZ officers continue to believe that 12pm – 2pm is the best slot, as this fits in-between other CPZs (the Crouch End ones are 10am-12pm and 2pm-4pm) and will make it easy to patrol.  They aren’t convinced that people moving their cars between CPZs will be a big problem as this hasn’t happened in noticeable numbers in other areas.

I also raised a whole range of other issues, such as the need for visitor parking and loading bays for our local shopping parades, the Stroud Green Library and the two churches on Stapleton Hall Road.  I’ll keep scrutinising their proposals as they are developed – so please contact me if you have any concerns.

The Finsbury Park Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) is very likely to be extended up to Ridge Road after 66% of those consulted by the Council asked for resident parking controls.  Earlier this week I attended a meeting with parking officers and residents to hear the results of the consultation, which finished at the start of 2011.  According to the briefing, 16% of residents in the consultation area outside the current CPZ responded, with 218 in favour of the expansion and 114 against.

If the expansion goes ahead as expected the following roads will now be added in to the Finsbury Park CPZ:

• The whole of Addington, Albany, Elyne, Quernmore and Ridge Roads
• The rest of Stapleton Hall Road, Mount View Road and Oakfield Roads (which are currently only half in the CPZ)
• The remaining part of Ferme Park Road (south of Ridge Road) – with the road north of Ridge Road going into the Crouch End CPZ.

Apparently 69% of respondents wanted parking controls for the minimum 2 hours a day.  The Council are suggesting 12 noon to 2pm – but at the meeting this week some residents wanted different hours, so the officers are going to look at this.  The Council will now draw up detailed proposals showing where all the parking bays will be – and there will have to be a short ’statutory consultation’ on the final plans.  With this further work, the Council have said it will take until November for the new extension to be implemented, which means residents will have to suffer several more months of parking difficulties.

The consultation inside the existing CPZ seems to have got more mixed results, with an almost 50/50 split on whether the hours should be reduced or not.  But the Council are proposing to create  a small inner zone near the tube station to try to deal with particular problems in Woodstock, Perth, Ennis and Oxford Roads.  I’ve asked officers for an urgent meeting to look at the detailed results – to make sure they are fairly representing the views expressed.

During 2009 Ed Butcher and I surveyed several hundred people about whether they wanted the CPZ (see picture) and got a very similar result.  Its a shame its taken the Council well over a year to catch up – but this is a big victory for those residents who have been pushing for a CPZ for all these years.

Great news for the many local residents who want action on parking: the consultation on whether the Finsbury Park Controlled Parking Zone should be extended north is due to to start on 19 November.  The consultation will extend as far north as Ridge Road, and including all the roads inbetween that are not already in the CPZ such as Mount View, Granville, Quernmore, Ferme Park, Stapleton Hall and Oakfield Roads.

This consultation is something Katherine, Ed and I have been pushing hard for – after we did a survey of residents which indicated many people in this area were now in favour of a CPZ.  I’ve helped the Council to recruit volunteers for focus group of local residents to help design the consultation questions, which was a very successful event.  There will be two separate consultation documents – one for people outside the CPZ asking if they would like it extended, and what hours they would like.  The other will go to everyone inside the existing CPZ asking if they would like the rules and hours of the zone changed.  Many residents are pushing for the CPZ to be divided into a smaller inner zone with long hours, and outer zones, with minimal hours.

This consultation will follow hot on the heels of the Crouch End CPZ consultation, which has been very high profile.  This consultation extended east from the centre of Crouch End as far as Ferme Park Road.  The results of this consultation will be available soon.

Roads that are north of Ridge Road and east of Ferme Park Road (Nelson, Inderwick, Mayfield, Denton, Uplands) are left out of both these consultations.  Understandably some residents here are concerned about the risk that parking pressures will soar if the CPZ boundary moves closer.  I’ve asked the Council how quickly a new consultation could be organised in these roads if residents demand it – and have been told that it could be possible in the 2011/12 financial year.

A further complication is that the Council are about to start a review of the costs of resident and visitor parking permits.  I’ve been told that proposals will go to the November cabinet.  I’ve written to the Labour cabinet member in charge of parking saying that a hike in charges will only heighten cynicism about the councils motives in extending CPZs, and should be avoided.  Parking controls should be there to help residents, not as backhand source of revenue for the Council – and we will scrutinise any proposals on charges to make sure they are fair.

Yesterday, I met up with Katherine Reece at the Holy Trinity Church Fair outside the vicarage on the corner of Stapleton Hall Road and Granville Road. When I arrived Katherine was already get stuck in, helping out on the burger stand.  The Fair was very busy and seemed like a great success.

The local Safer Neighbourhood police team were there, and Katherine and I took the opportunity to lobby them over a couple of crime related problems.   For instance, I quizzed Sgt Bob Stevenson about the problem with squatters taking over empty homes in Stroud Green.  As a new councillor, Katherine (pictured chatting to Bob) is meeting up with the police team very soon to get a proper briefing from them on local issues.

Stalls, games, displays, an ecology tour and a chance to quiz  Katherine, Ed and me ahead of the Election – all form part of the third annual Neighbourhood Day which takes place in Stroud Green this Saturday (April 24) from 2-4.30pm.
 
The idea behind the day is for people to get out and about in their local streets, meet their neighbours, have some fun and find out what is happening locally.
 
Neighbourhood Day is organised by the Stroud Green Residents Association (SGRA) and covers Mountview Road, Stapleton Hall Road, Granville Road and all the roads inbetween (Quernmore Road, Albany Road, Elyne Road, Addington Road and part of Oakfield Road).
 
This year, the events and activities include:

• Residents’ stalls and games around the area offering  secondhand and new books, plants, cakes, pottery, household items, children’s clothes and toys, bric-a-brac and lots more!
• Meet your local politicians (Oakfield Road) and ask their views on local and national issues
• Visit the Safer Neighbourhoods Police Team (at the library) – with fingerprinting for children
• A fascinating history and ecology tour of Granville Road Spinney.
• Fairtrade stall at Holy Trinity Church and ‘The Story of Fairtrade Cotton’ display at St Aidan’s School
• A chance to see inside Holy Trinity Church
• Craft Fair in the library
• Talk and Q&A by local photographer and librarian Don Holtum
• ‘Map your Neighbourhood’ activity with the Greenwood Elfins – the local Woodcraft Group
• A ‘Dr Bike’ session to help repair bikes and offer cycling advice

Helen Riley from SGRA said: ‘This is the third year we have held the event and it promises to be the best yet. People enjoy the chance to chat to their friends and neighbours and let their children play in the local streets. Everyone is welcome to come along and see what it is on offer.’

Great news – a long running campaign by local residents and councillors for a review of the Finsbury Park Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) is finally being acted on by the Council, who have at last agreed to put this in their 2010/11 work plan.  The review would include a parking consultation with residents who live outside the CPZ who are badly affected by displacement parking, as well as residents inside the Zone.  Last year we did a survey of residents in streets outside the Zone which got over 300 responses, and presented the results to the Council.  79% said parking had got worse and 61% said they now wanted the CPZ extended, and residents on some roads have put together petitions to demand action.
 
This is also great news for residents who live inside the existing CPZ who regularly complain about the rules, hours and enforcement of the parking controls.  It will also help residents who are angry about the boundary of the CPZ, with anomolies like the Oakfield Road bridge being included in the CPZ when there are no residents living on it.  Labour councillors have repeatedly promised reviews over the last 4 years, but these pledges have always been broken. 
 
The battle now is to hold the Council to this promise and to make sure the consultation is promptly and properly conducted, and is fair and considers all options.  As councillors our job is to make sure all views are heard, whether anti- or pro-CPZ.  Obviously we remain absolutely adamant that CPZs should purely be about helping solve residents parking problems, and not about raising money for the Council.  We will scrutinise any proposals to brought forward by the Council to ensure they stick to this principle.
 
Yesterday, along with councillor Lyn Weber from Crouch End ward, I met with the council officers in charge of parking to press for this review to  go ahead as soon as possible.

Like many councillors I’ve spent the last few weeks reporting all the potholes I can spot on our local roads.  Its a pretty thankless task – sometimes you think it would be easier to send in a list of all the places that don’t have potholes.  So far I’ve reported them on Granville, Inderwick, Nelson, Stapleton Hall and Mount View Roads (this photo is from Mount View).

Of course, the current rash of potholes has been caused by the snow and ice, and the Lib Dems have pressed the Council to do a special survey to identify these new holes.  However, the Council have refused to go out and find the holes themselves and instead say they will only fill them if they are reported by residents or councillors.

I think this neglectful policy is absolute madness, as it gaurantees some potholes are missed and not repaired.  The Council has a duty to keep our streets safe and potholes are incredibly dangerous for cyclists and motorcyclists.  Its not acceptable for Labour to just decide potholes are not a priority.

The long term solution is for the roads with the most potholes to be completely resurfaced.  It’s such a waste of money to keep patching-up roads where the surface is completely worn out and crumbling away.  I’ve called time and time for these roads to be resurfaced – but too often the Council refuse to act, even though it would mean saving money in the long run.