RESIDENTS of a leafy suburb have claimed that they won’t be able to afford visitors coming to their homes thanks to a council plan to triple parking fees overnight.
The charges could be raised by up to 240% under the proposals, which were voted through last month.
Homeowners in Haringey, North London, claim they only got wind of the plans after eagle-eyed neighbours spotted them in council minutes.
Officials say that the move is “provisional at this stage” but locals fear that they could soon see friends and family priced off the roads.
Under proposals approved by the Labour-run council’s cabinet on July 16, the existing system of daily visitor parking permits would be abolished.
Residents are, for now, able to buy these permits for just a fiver, granting pals or relatives the right to park in the borough’s residential streets for the whole day.
The controlled zone is in operation Monday to Saturday from 8am to 6.30pm in most areas, while some see that extended to seven days a week and lengthened to 10pm.
The entire thing reeks of dishonesty
Cllr Scott Emery
Under the new system, visitors would have to pay an hourly rate instead.
In the most tightly controlled areas, this could take the cost of a day’s parking from £5 to as much as £17 – an increase of roughly 240%.
Caitlin Clunie-O’Connor, who lives in one of the controlled zones, told BBC News: “I actually don’t own a car, but my partner and I are renovating a house and this is going to end up costing many hundreds of pounds more if this comes in, [to have] contractors come.
“It’s quoted in the [council’s] documentation as incremental.
“I don’t think you can argue that a 164% increase [in my area] is incremental.”
And fellow resident Roslyn Byfield accused the council of being “dishonest and underhand” about the new charges.
She added: “We understand that councils are nearly all very strapped for cash… but this is not the right way to generate revenue.”
The council says that the “provisional” plans will now be subject to an online statutory consultation and insists that the move is “not financially motivated” as it is “unlawful to use parking revenue as an income raiser”.
Parking spaces in London boroughs with high density like Haringey are in short supply.
Cllr Seema Chandwani
However, the statement was met with fury from opposition councillors.
Lib Dem transport spokesperson Scott Emery responded: “The entire thing reeks of dishonesty.
“What this boils down to really is just an increase in car parking visitor charges.”
Seema Chandwani, council cabinet member for resident services, said: “We are a borough that is committed to understanding our residents’ needs and wants through healthy engagement.
“Parking spaces in London boroughs with high density like Haringey are in short supply.
“We want to hear from residents in Haringey through our consultation so they can have their say on our proposed changes.
“It will enable us to understand the reasons why daily visitor permits are needed and whether this proposal will benefit our borough or not.”
