Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Kevin@The Ground Bean Café on March 14, 2012 at 12:36

Exactly what changes are we after?

I appreciate that the management at Wilkinson Byrne have expressed their opinion of the clamping and have indicated a desire for change. It's a positive and refreshing affirmation of human nature that all the shop keepers and residents I've spoken to this past week have recognised that the clamping regime is outrageous.

The only exception to this positive experience was my phone conversation with the landlord/freeholder.

"Hello, may name is Kevin, I'd like to speak to John about the parking." I must admit to being a teeny bit disappointed with the response I got. I was put straight through to John without any protest. I thought I was going to struggle to get my point of view across! It's clear that John seldom gets the chance to speak to residents and victims. (It costs just £4.00 to get the details of property owners from the Land Registry.) John listened to my suggestions. He responded by affirming that there is adequate signage warning motorist of the consequences of parking on the side road. It seems obvious that he will not do anything if he does not feel any pressure.

I agree with the Wilkinson Byrne member that John can be persuaded to improve the clamping enforcement. The clamping signage has improved over last couple of years and the enforcement now falls within the letter of the law. It's important that we make our needs known. First we need to agree what changes we'd like. This is not about what is legally right; it's what we think is best practice and in keeping with the ethos of the Bounds Green neighbourhood.  It's about having a an unequivocal consensus of what changes are required to make the parking enforcement fair.

This forum is the space where the consensus needs to be built.

And what if the Landlord does not meet the standards set by the community; what sanctions are reasonable and proportionate?

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Permalink Reply by roland.hewes on March 16, 2012 at 10:24

I am really happy to see a forum in which others within our community can finally voice their feelings regarding such issues such as the clamping practices in Lantham Court Parade next to Bounds Green Tube. Please see the response I got below when reporting this to Haringey council back in 2008! My first point of call to stop this was Councilor Matt Cooke who never got back to me (despite the fact that I had seen him in a photo shoot against it before I contacted him). I am interested to hear that he is taking notice again now, probably due to it being a big issue among the local electorate.

After having no luck with the Councilor or the council I went on to meet Lynne Featherstone MP, who has been exceptional at following things up, although the up-shoot is that it seems all are powerless until the new law outlawing the clamping element comes into force hopefully later this year. 

It still saddens me to pass there and see the very heavy set guys lying in wait for someone to clamp as soon as they leave their vehicle even if it is just for a second. 

Everyday this continues is a scar on the area! The sad fact is that this is just too lucrative for the land owner and those implementing it to stop as there is no sign of them having any moral compass!
Please keep pushing the below and we may get somewhere-

Action the owners should be forced to take:

-They should be forced to put double yellow, better still double red lines
-Warning signs should be lower down and way bigger

Action the council should take:

-Put up warning signage, this could be done either side of the pavement and even on the pavement that cars have to cross to get to this private pull in/parade of shops. Remember the pavement is the councils so they can and should use this space to put warning the landlord is not!

Original letter to Haringay and respose:

Dear Charlotte,

I write to you with regards to the below practices being pursued in our area . I have tried a few avenues of complaint already but officialdom doesn't appear interested in pulling its finger out.

It is not just another story of underhand clamping as it seems it may go a bit deeper! It relates to a parking bay in a small parade of shops next to Bounds Green Tube Station (on Brownlow Road). There are symmetrical bays on either side of the road yet on one side of the road it is council operated pay and display yet the other side has fallen into private hands, no markings exist on the In the meantime many people are paying out hundreds of pounds a day each to what can only be described as a honey trap. Although I have not been caught personally I have had enough of seeing people in tears as they are clamped whilst parking for a minute in a bay which has now markings on the road and warning signs designed to be easily missed on nearby walls.

 

I look forward to hearing back from you, and hope that you will be acting soon to halt this practise which is resulting in these unscrupulous individuals netting thousands of pounds per day.

 

Yours Faithfully,

 

Roland Hewes

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Shah Noshaba <Noshaba.Shah@haringey.gov.uk>
Date: 2008/11/6
Subject: FW: Clamping in the slip road next to Bounds Green Station LBH/56169.

Dear Mr Hewes,

 

Thank you for your e-mail sent to my colleague Mrs Ibro on 6 November 2008.

 

I have reviewed this case and can confirm that although this road is within London Borough of Haringey it is a private road. The Council cannot enforce the land owners to do as you request. We have forwarded your concerns to the SIA.

 

I am sorry that the Council are unable to help any further in this matter.

 

If you have any further enquiries please do not hesitate to contact me on telephone number 020 8489 5278 or e-mail me at enforcement.members@haringey.gov.uk

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Noshaba Shah

Enforcement Support Officer

---

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Permalink Reply by Administrator on March 19, 2012 at 11:30

An informal meeting has been called by residents to discuss the options available for stopping the clamping around Bounds Green Station.

The meeting will be held at 8pm in The Step on Myddleton Roadon Wednesday March 21st

Please RSVP on the Event Listing page

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Permalink Reply by Kevin@The Ground Bean Café on March 22, 2012 at 1:23

A meeting was held on Wednesday to discuss how to channel our energies to combat the clamping. We've chosen to place priority on arranging a meeting with Councillor Matt Cooke and a representative of the Haringey Council Environment and Transport Department. At the meeting we want to explore the possibility of the council erecting two "Private Parking" signs at the south entrance to the private road at Latham Court.

Most vehicles enter the private road from the south side so we recommend that there be a sign both to the left and right of the entrance. Here's a mockup of how the sign to the left of the entrance will look.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed their suggestions both online and in person. We also appreciate the help and support provided by the local residents associations:BGDRA andBPCA.

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Permalink Reply by Lucy Whitehead on March 22, 2012 at 14:26

Hi Kevin

Thats brilliant things are moving with the signage.

Think something should be done about the other side of the road - the yard behind the post office. Thats where we were clamped. Can that be discussed in the meeting?

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Permalink Reply by Kevin@The Ground Bean Café on March 22, 2012 at 15:15

Hi Lucy

Behind Clockwork Pharmacy is a large private courtyard. Sango Security do the parking enforcement here too. I've not yet been able to determine who owns this land. The signage is even less obvious than the Latham Court side of the road.

At the meeting we considered a very broad range of solutions to the problem. We chose to focus our energies on getting the council to erect signs in front of Latham Court because:

a) We think that this is where the majority of Sango's clamping takes place

b) We have the advantage that the council owns the pavement directly in front of the site. The signs placed there will unmistakably relate to "Clamp Alley".

We are aware that there's a lot more that needs to be done to curb Sango's cowboy clamping. I hope that getting the signage in place will just be the start of effective community action on the matter.

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Permalink Reply by Cllr Matt Cooke on April 2, 2012 at 14:08

Hello there, I had a really good meeting with Kevin at my surgery regarding this issue a couple of weeks back and we had a great discussion on some of the things that could be done to lessen the damage that this 'business' is doing to our neighbourhood.

I've always been clear that this is a pretty immoral practice, and if the Council can do anything to lessen the impact of what is in fact a legal practice, then it should do so by drawing the maximum attention possible to the implications of people parking on this private land.

I think clearer signage is obviously a must - and if we cannot persuade Sango to put up bigger signs (little hoipe there, and it's been tried before by me) then the Council should investigate whether it might erect 'Private Property - no public parking' signs on the perimeter and even consider road markings on the public land adjoining the site to say this. We should also consider closing off one end of Latham Court which I think might seriously deter anyone from parking in there because getting out would be more difficult, but it would still allow delivery for the commercial premises.

I'm working on all these lines of enquiry, and I hope to have some progress and options by my next surgery (at 128 Myddelton Road on the 11th April at 18:30) which anyone interested in this is very welcome to come along to. I am also trying to organise a site visit which once I have a date I will post on here so anyone interested can come along. N.B. This is likely to be in work hours, however.

Any other ideas/comments do contact me directly: 07814 238 115 or at matt.cooke@haringey.gov.uk

 

Best wishes

Cllr Matt Cooke

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Richard McKeever on April 3, 2012 at 0:24

Interesting to note that Enfield Council last week published a press release making a noise about a (partially) succesful prosecution of a car clamping firm director. He was fined almost £5,000 for two breaches of the "Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations"

Full details on the Enfield Coiuncil website

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Permalink Reply by Mary Blake on April 7, 2012 at 11:55

I got clamped there a few years back en route to buy orange juice and croissants for some overnight guests - the most expensive breakfast I've ever served!  The clamping man emerged from the alley and ranted at me before I said a word - poor man, I'd guess he profited little himself and was geared up for a tirade from the clamping victims.

Anyway, thanks to everyone above for your research and suggestions - I investigated at the time and established it was legal.  But Kevin's information about the change in law is promising, and as a first move I support Tom's suggestion of asking the chicken shop and Wilkinson's to display posters.  The clamping can't do their businesses any good, and if we post them outside without permission we could get done for flyposting, groan!

Kevin, do you know where to get the yellow posters?  I'm happy to ask the shops next time I'm up there.

Anyway, happy Easter everyone!

Cheers, Mary

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Permalink Reply by Kevin@The Ground Bean Café on April 11, 2012 at 14:46

Hi Mary, I agree that we should consider asking the shops to display posters. Here are some concerete suggestions regarding content and style. Please take a look and let us know what you think.

The poster's won't work for an out-of-towner who has just turned off the A406 to visit the shops; but it may help remind occasional visitors of the parking risks.

And thanks for your offer of help in approaching the shops once we've finalised the content of the posters I look forward to taking you up on it. Regards Kevin

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Permalink Reply by Mary Blake on April 11, 2012 at 23:01

Hi Kevin

As there are only about four shops involved, it might be best to sound them out first - I'll have a word next time I'm passing.  I had another look the last time I passed - on reflection the 'No Parking' signs are quite big, but the clamping warning signs obviously inadequate.  The successful prosecution against City Watch for the Savoy Parade car park in Enfield is a good precedent.  

Ideally the road would be clearly marked as well, but as it's probably private land means tracking down who owns it..  Let's keep discussing,

Thanks, Mary

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Permalink Reply by Mary Blake on April 11, 2012 at 23:08

Hi Kevin et al again

Sorry, this is me replying to myself!  Reading back I see that Wilkinson Byrne do know the landlord, so maybe could put pressure on for road markings as well as signs?

Mary

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