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The operating hours of the Lodge Drive car park in Palmers Green are to be extended, probably from this weekend. Cars will be able to enter up until 11.30pm and leave at any time.

The failure to extend the car park's operating hours - something promised as part of the Cycle Enfield project - was raised at the September meeting of the Palmers Green Ward Forum. In an email to attendees sent out today, Councillor Mary Maguire wrote:

Please also note that following the September ward forum I raised the issue of the early closure of Lodge Drive car park. It has now been agreed to extend the Lodge Drive car park opening times to enable entry up to 11.30pm. Anyone will be able to exit after those hours as the bollards will lower automatically when customers exit and then rise again. The signs should be in place by this weekend.

The only concern is whether this will generate complaints about noise and potential ASB late into the evenings, so we will keep the situation under review. 

The next Palmers Green Ward Forum will take place on 30th November at 7.30pm at the Ruth Winston Centre.

Palmers Green Community Forum
Ruth Winston Centre
190 Green Lanes, Palmers Green N13 5UE
Thursday 30 November 2017
7.30 - 9.00 pm

Agenda

1) Welcome

2) Crime / ASB report

3) Cycle Enfield / Quieter Neighbourhoods progress report

4) Budget Consultation

5) Update on local issues

a) CPZ
b) Fly-tipping
c) The Fox

6) Question & Answer session

Log in to comment
Darren Edgar posted a reply
16 Nov 2017 09:28
Out of interest, what's the rationale/need for keeping it open so late? Are there businesses it serves which open that late and keep customer parking need running into the evening?

I can only think of Maccys....
Colin Younger posted a reply
16 Nov 2017 12:29
The issue was raised because the original committent as part of the cycle scheme was for the car park to compensate for reduced on street parking and which would help support "the night time economy". It was pointed out that less mobile customers found it difficult to dine out further up Green Lanes and get back to the car park before it closed. The early closing came back because of complaints about noisy "boy racers" from resident around the car park. This seems to be a widespread problem eg at Sainsbury's Winchmore Hill, which is proving difficult to deal with on similar grounds. The dilemma is do you keep the car park open for customers and delivery vehicles, or close them to deal with irresponsible drivers who like the race track they provide at night. This issue has been raised at both Palmers Green and Winchmore Hill Ward Forums.
Darren Edgar posted a reply
16 Nov 2017 14:45
Yeh, night time economy was my assumption, it's just one of those funny ones where I then think: 1) What night time economy? Pub/bar nightlife is non-existant almost in PG, just a handful of restaurants (best ones being on Alderman's Hill anyway); and 2) Why is car parking always so important to the night time economy? Who drives to the pub....?!

Very tricky quandry re the boy racers quandry.

Reading the above, and vis a vis my comments, I don't see why you need entry after 9pm, provided exit is 24 hours. I doubt there are any disabled persons only just going out after 9pm. As long as they can enter the car park by foot at the end of their evening and leave by the car they turned up in, everyone should be happy.
Karl Brown posted a reply
20 Nov 2017 15:48
Fair call re the evening economy; and also how what is currently open is skewed to Aldermans Hill rather than Green Lanes. But with the latest British Retail Consortium forecasting huge traditional shop closures, sales falling and even large brands very much on the move (M&S closing 30 stores, 45 being downsized or changed to food-only; Mothercare to drop 50% of its stores; while John Lewis now has a full 20% of its Oxford Street flagship store devoted to services and experiences) any wishful desire for the PG high street of 20 years ago won’t wash. Services and experiences look more like the core-future in slimmed down local high streets.
So it’s good to see some businesses expanding into the evening: starfish (a pioneer?), 90 On The Green, The Yard and MyTime with weekend drink licenses, and now Hugs and Mugs with Friday cocktails. Good luck to them and the existing pubs and restaurants. It’s some way from a self-perpetuating critical mass, but things need to start somewhere.
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