Tories hit out at poor condition of meters

Barnet's Tories are on the warpath over the state of the borough's parking meters, highways and footpaths.

Councillor Liz Mammatt claims Chipping Barnet's parking meters are past it and break down all the time while Councillor Anthony Spencer says the council is making no headway into the backlog of £15million worth of work needed on roads and footways.

'It is all about mismanagement. The highways department is running at 50 per cent staff levels and morale is at an all-time low,' said Mr Spencer who sits on the council's Street Based Scrutiny Commission.

'The last time I looked there was £1.8million in the parking fund ,, money that should be spent on roads but well over £1million worth of work hasn't been done locally, even I have noticed that road repairs have fallen behind.'

Cllr Liz Mammatt said there is general concern among Conservatives about the whereabouts of the council's coffers.

'What is happening to the council's money? It's not going on education or roads and these parking meters are a shambles.

'We will be asking a lot of questions at council over the next few weeks.'

Cllr Allan Turner, the cabinet member for the Environment, said the parking money was ring fenced and could not be spent on roads. He added that new parking meters should be arriving next month: 'We are negotiating with a manufacturer to launch a demonstration project in Chipping Barnet,' he said.