Barnet Council's Cabinet has agreed to analyse feedback from residents regarding the experimental Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) in Underhill South. The decision was made during a meeting on Tuesday, July 21, 2026.
Concerns raised by residents about the CPZ, which has been in place for eight months, were discussed. Councillor Alan Schneiderman, Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, stated that the feedback and responses from the statutory consultation period would be analysed. The statutory consultation period for the Underhill South CPZ concluded on June 14, 2026, with officers currently reviewing the received feedback.
Residents have voiced significant concerns about the CPZ, questioning its proportionality, evidence base, fairness, and democratic legitimacy. Specific issues raised include whether the CPZ is a proportionate response to identified parking problems, the robustness of Barnet's CPZ policy framework, and the existence of a specific Equality Impact Assessment for Underhill South for 2025-26. Residents also noted that the hours of restriction mirrored Barnet Hospital's zone rather than the nearby Chipping Barnet Zone D, with a lack of evidence to justify these hours. Furthermore, concerns were raised about the failure to track user types and their duration and timing patterns, and that new double yellow lines reduced capacity after initial surveys, potentially skewing comparisons. The proportionality of the scheme was also questioned, alongside the generic and outdated nature of the Equality Impact Assessment, which failed to consider local specifics such as hospital proximity, school patterns, or digital exclusion. The deputation highlighted that the scheme proceeded under delegated officer authority despite 85% opposition in the wider area and 61% opposition within the included roads. Additional concerns included the cashless payment system, lack of grace periods, high tariffs for Mays Lane shops, and the potential for the CPZ to be implemented for financial recuperation rather than genuine need.
Options for the future of the Underhill South CPZ include making amendments, commencing a new experimental period, making the current arrangements permanent, or removing the controls entirely. The analysis of feedback will incorporate the deputation's concerns, post-implementation parking stress survey results, and an assessment of the effectiveness of the parking controls as implemented. Ward members and the Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change will engage to determine the way forward.
A decision on the future of the CPZ is expected by the end of September 2026, with the Council aiming to publish this decision by September 30, 2026. This timeline is in line with the council's aim to publish decisions by the end of September 2026, as detailed in the agenda for the Cabinet meeting. Public reports pack 21st-Jul-2026 19.00 Cabinet