Traders plead with Harrow Council to give struggling area a fairer deal on parking

A campaign for cheaper parking for North Harrow has been launched but motorists and traders fear “the damage has already been done”.

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John Shammas

16:07, 23 OCT 2014

Janet Mote out with her campaign team taking signatures in July.

1,359 people signed a petition handed to Harrow Council’s Labour administration calling for the rate to be cut from 80p to 20p for the first hour on weekdays at the Cambridge Road municipal car park where drivers used to enjoy an hour’s free parking until July 2013.

Rashmi Padya, who has run Harrisons Newsagents for 14 years in Pinner Road, North Harrow, said: “I signed the petition, but I am worried that the damage has already been done.

“I have lost so many customers since free parking went away, so I am very upset with the council. The last year of running this business has been a real struggle, the worst in 14 years.

“Maybe 80p to 20p would help, but my customers are already gone and the council has killed the trade in North Harrow.”

The petitioners want the North Harrow car park reclassified from a District to a Local car park to benefit from the same tariffs as the Grimsdyke Road car park in Hatch End, which is cheaper despite boasting more amenities than North Harrow, which after Lloyds TSB and Safeway closed does not have a bank or a supermarket.

Headstone North ward councillor Janet Mote (Conservative), who organised the petition and launched at the North Harrow Festival in July, said: “Traders and residents in North Harrow have done a lot of work trying to make the area more attractive for shoppers, but the car park charges dented their progress a bit.

“Shops are reporting fewer customers, with some having to close earlier in the day to cover their losses.

“That’s why so many shops helped get signatures on this petition, which I launched at the North Harrow Festival in July.

“The traders and regular customers know the area still has a lot to offer, but I think others are put off by the high cost of parking.”

This is the second petition of its type after the first from Headstone North ward councillor James Bond (Independent) - which wanted to turn Cambridge Road car park completely free - failed.

Mrs Mote said: “A previous campaign to scrap the car park charge entirely was unsuccessful, which is why I’m trying this new approach based on comparing different areas of the borough.

“My hope is that this approach will be more persuasive, and that the council will reconsider North Harrow’s parking band – perhaps starting a pilot at the cheaper rate – thereby making the area a more competitive place to shop and boosting local businesses.”

Councillor Varsha Parmar (Labour), the council’s cabinet member for environment, crime and community safety, said: “Changing the designation of a retail area to a local district centre as suggested by the petition is not something Harrow Council can do on its own.

“Both parking and planning policy are not easily altered, and a planning change to local district centre would need the approval of the Mayor of London, who would need to be convinced of the case as the status of different parts of London boroughs fall under his London plan.