Barnet appears to have conducted its consultation about increased parking charges on controlled parking zones, by tying notices to lampposts just before Christmas.

The notice I read, (too late to respond), told me “free” parking spaces would be converted to permit holder only as appropriate.

I don’t think it referred to the outrageous increases in residential permits, but it drew attention to other changes.

For example, the one- hour charge goes up to £1.70, if you pay in real money, but there is no increase if you pay by phone. So there’s a choice, but there are no coin machines in the road and I don’t have a mobile phone.

Where there are coin machines, in the town centres for instance, they are often out of order, but I am still likely to get a penalty notice if I don’t display a valid ticket. Hobson’s choice again.

Even if the council does wish to make the scheme profitable before selling it on to some private organisation, I don’t see why it should engage in such discriminatory practices. I thought the council had a policy against discrimination?

Dennis Pepper
Windsor Road, Finchley