Enfield Council is proposing to introduce a free 30-minute parking session per vehicle per day across the borough in an effort to boost local economic activity and town centre footfall.
The proposed changes, which will be subject to statutory consultation, aim to enhance the attractiveness and competitiveness of Enfield's high streets. The Council's Cabinet agreed to proceed with the statutory consultation on these proposed amendments to parking tariffs for stays under one hour on 9 September 2026. The specific timeline for this consultation is not detailed, but authority has been delegated to the Executive Director of Environment & Communities, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment, to determine whether to proceed with implementation following consideration of all consultation responses.
Under the proposal, the existing 15-minute and 30-minute tariffs for on-street parking would be removed, with the shortest chargeable tariff starting at one hour. Off-street car parks would also see the removal of the 45-minute free parking bays at Lodge Drive and Fords Grove, replaced by the borough-wide free 30-minute session.
The proposal includes 'one free 30-minute parking session per vehicle per day'. It also states that 'Once a vehicle has utilised its free 30-minute parking session, any subsequent parking session on the same day at another participating location within the borough, on or off-street, will be charged at the applicable tariff rate.' This indicates a mechanism to prevent repeated daily use by the same vehicle.
If a decision is taken to proceed, the Executive Director of Environment & Communities will be delegated authority to make and publish the necessary Traffic Orders.
The cost of implementation includes approximately £5,000 for the removal of existing signage and installation of updated tariff signage at Lodge Drive and Fords Grove car parks. Additionally, statutory consultation, Traffic Management Order amendments, and associated legal and advertising costs are estimated at £25,700.