Parking charges 'concern' secretary of state Eric Pickles (From Enfield Independent)

Enfield parking charges 'concern' Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles

4:27pm Wednesday 23rd January 2013 in News By Hermione Wright

Secretary of State Eric Pickles admits he is concerned for traders due to the prevalence of parking fees in Enfield.

The Conservative politician, who leads the Department for Communities and Local Government, told the Enfield Independent yesterday he knows parking charges can be detrimental to shops by driving customers away from the borough.

He said expensive fees can keep shoppers out of the high street, which often leads to the erosion of community.

Mr Pickles said it is popular for councils to “bump up the charges, grab the money and run”, but there are other ways to raise money.

He said traders are already impacted by business rates, and parking charges can keep drivers away from town centres.

He said: “Do you want to encourage local shops? Do you want to encourage trade at a time when you see a lot of high street names disappearing in the places we call home?

“The things that make a local community are the local shopping centres.”

More than 600 people have signed a petition against Enfield Borough Council's proposals to introduce a controlled parking zone (CPZ) throughout much of Edmonton.

Traders told the Enfield Independent earlier this month the fees, which would see people charged up to £120 per year to pay outside their homes, would "kill" businesses in the area.