Parking Enforcement Policy

Conference programme

Before Mr Mustard tells you about enforcement policy in Barnet he wants to bring to your attention the 6th annual Enforcement Summit which you can get the details of by clicking on the Conference Programme link about. It is very interesting; the point of the programme is to improve enforcement i.e. screw more money out of the motorist but to be fair to the organisers there are sessions that look at this from the motorists perspective although not presented by a member of the public such as a travelling salesman which Mr Mustard would suggest is an idea the conference organisers could consider for next year.

Now to the main event. How Barnet Council enforce, in Mr Mustard's words (many less than the council use).

Funerals

Unlawful parking will not be condoned but patrols will be sent elsewhere unless someone complains in which case enforcement will take place. No concession available on a key route (where of course many churches will be located).

Mr Mustard doesn't like this arrangement. So if some miserable bugger lives next door and reports your funeral cortege as causing a parking problem then a traffic warden will pop round. This is an insensitive way of going on. Why not instruct parking wardens that any car with a photocopy of the Order of Service in the dashboard can be ignored on that day? The organiser of the service just needs to print twice as many copies.

Religious days

Unlawful parking on yellow lines will not be condoned but wrongful parking in marked bays will be allowed. Patrols will be sent elsewhere unless someone complains in which case enforcement will take place. 

As Religious days are not defined this is rather an unclear policy. It would probably be better to have a list of all religious dates of every religion and specify the streets in which enforcement will not take place and put signs up which the local religious establishments could be supplied with and put up and take down on the day. Big society in action and absolute clarity for the public because lack of clarity can lead to a £110 fine. Feel free to debate this idea in the comment box.

Schools

Mr Mustard didn't know but at school start time and end time (a moveable feast in some schools with after school events) you can park for 10 minutes in residential or a pay and display bay. 

What strikes Mr Mustard as odd about this is that during the clampdown last year on parking on the school zig-zags the council didn't mention this commonsense solution and instead deliberately sent traffic wardens to schools to issue tickets. If you have paid a parking ticket for this offence write to the council for your money back. If you email mrmustard@zoho.com he will provide you with a copy of the policy document that the council supplied him with under FOI.

North Side Junior School are allowed to use the lodge lane car park. This policy could be extended to every other school near a car park?

Bo-Peep and Alyth nurseries have their own identifier to permit them to park nearby. If these two nurseries have a concession shouldn't every other nursery?

Footway parking

If you park on the footway (footpath) inside a CPZ you will get a parking ticket unless you are unloading and are observed doing so (Mr Mustard thinks that delivery vehicles are the last ones that should be allowed on pavements as they are the heaviest and cause the most damage)

Outside a CPZ enforcement will only take place if it has been enforced in the last 3 months. If it is more than 3 months ago a local councillor will be consulted (which will lead to a postcode lottery).

Mr Mustard hopes that he has been of assistance.

Yours frugally

Mr Mustard