ePetition details
Stop the Pedestrianisation of Barnet High Street!
Barnet High Street is suffering; everyone knows that is true. The reasons for why this is the case are fairly obvious: Brent Cross pulls most shoppers interested in chain stores, Amazon provides convenience and practically limitless choice, and Barnet is more of a residential community, rather than a destination for outsiders or somewhere where many pass through on their way elsewhere.
Rather than acknowledge these trends and create a strategy which counteracts them: actively courting local artisans and entrepreneurs to create shopping experiences which are not available elsewhere (at lower business rates); creating anchor "experiences" (e.g. soft play for kids, community hubs) which would make the High St a destination and allows for positive spillover effects to neighbouring retail units; aggressively target graffiti, garish shop fronts and other detractors from spending time on the high street etc, Barnet Council has taken the decision to pedestrianise a High Street which has not worked out a strategy for economic survival.
What is the effect of this decision? This decision is likely to ensnare local residential streets in traffic chaos, will cause parking violations to skyrocket, will cost a great deal to local ratepayers, and will do nothing to help the economic outlook of the High Street.
It isn't rocket science: Make the High Street aesthetically pleasing and remarkable, curate a shopping space rather than letting "market forces" rip the High Street apart, show the pride in the High Street as a distinctive and beautiful place as we believe Barnet itself to be.
This ePetition ran from 25/07/2020 to 08/07/2021 and has now finished.
7 people signed this ePetition.