Wednesday 19 January 2011

Free Parking!



Much has been written in the local press and blogosphere about Barnet’s punitive hike in ‘Pay and Display’ fees and charges (click the table below to enlarge).

At the Cabinet Resources Committee meeting on 13th January, Members agreed to increase the cost of Residents’ first permit from £42 to £100 - an inflation busting rise of 138%.

The second permit cost will rise from £75 to £125 (up 66%) and for a third permit from £75 to £150 (a nice round 100% increase).

Doctors permits will increase from £160 to £200 (up 25%) whilst essential service vouchers go up from £12 for a book of 10 to £20 - a mere 66% rise.

But it is not all bad news. Residents will be delighted to know that three vulnerable groups will continue to receive free parking permits:
Carers Permits
Designated Disabled Bay Permits
Members Permits
That’s right folks. Essential service vouchers go up by 66% whilst councillors continue to park absolutely free of charge. This must be what Lynne Hillan meant when she said that we were all in this together.



3 comments:

Anonymous said...

But it's even more outrageous than that.

The free 'super' Councillors parking permit covers pay and display parking as well as CPZ bays. But, naturellement, that is for official council business only.

So here is a suggestion, why doesn't a Councillors move an amendment to the budget to introduce a charge for this super perk pegged at the rate of the first CPZ resident's permit? Afterall, we are all in this together, aren't we?

In the interest of full disclosure I never applied for one of these passes, although they were available, when I was on the Council.

somersetchris said...

Please sign the petitions at http://petitions.barnet.gov.uk/wearenotcashcows/ and http://www.gopetition.com/petition/41889.html

gerardsagar said...

I've complained to Barnet about the petition on their website not working properly -

http://petitions.barnet.gov.uk/wearenotcashcows/

When you sign the petition on the site, they email you with a link. You have to click on the link before you are counted as signing... & of course the link doesn't work. You have to chop out half of it and then paste it into your browser. How convenient for the Tory councillors with free parking permits.