Mays Lane Traders Lose Customers to Barnet Pay-by-Phone Parking Charges

Key Points

• Long-established businesses on Mays Lane parade in Barnet fear closure due to new pay-by-phone parking charges introduced by Barnet Council in mid-December outside their premises.​
• Coopers of Barnet reports trade down by 40 per cent in the last six weeks since the withdrawal of free parking in the service road.​
• Well over 1,500 residents and shoppers have signed a petition organised by Denise Bagge, proprietor of Mays Lane Pets, to protest the charges.​
• Mays Lane shop owners propose the council introduce free parking for 20 minutes or half an hour, sufficient for most customers.​
• Traders join mounting anger over parking restrictions in the Underhill South Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ), an 18-month experimental scheme in 16 roads off Mays Lane and sides of Chesterfield Road.​
• Despite 85 per cent opposition from householders, plus pleas from Whitings Hill Primary School staff and parents, Barnet Council proceeded with the CPZ.​
• Six-month consultation ends Sunday 14 June; Quinta Green Residents Association and Underhill Residents’ Group plan in-depth surveys to show opposition.​
• Petition available at neighbouring shops and online via mayspets.co.uk; shop assistant Sarah Burley amazed by response, appealing to Chipping Barnet MP Dan Tomlinson to visit.​
• Sarah Burley calls it a “money-making exercise for Barnet Council,” criticising lack of action on Barnet Hospital parking.​
• Free parking spaces reduced from 12-15 to five bays at top borough rate of £3.30.​
• Elderly customers deterred as they struggle with pay-by-phone for quick purchases like bird seeds or doggy treats.​
• Public notice confirms pay-by-phone bays with 30-minute and 1-hour max stays outside specific shops on Mays Lane, operating 8am-6.30pm Monday-Saturday.​
• Underhill South CPZ experimental order made 4th December 2025 to manage kerbside, deter commuter parking.​
• Petition echoes on platforms like 38degrees and Facebook, calling to stop charges.

Mays Lane, Barnet (North London News) January 31, 2026 – Traders on the Mays Lane parade express despair over Barnet Council’s mid-December introduction of pay-by-phone parking charges, which have slashed customer numbers and threatened long-established businesses with closure.​

Coopers of Barnet states trade has plummeted 40 per cent in the six weeks since free parking ended in the service road outside their premises. A petition by Denise Bagge of Mays Lane Pets has garnered over 1,500 signatures from residents and shoppers protesting the charges. Shop owners urge a rethink, suggesting short free parking periods as part of the controversial Underhill South Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ).​

What sparked the parking charges on Mays Lane?

Barnet Council introduced the pay-by-phone charges in mid-December as part of the Underhill South CPZ, an 18-month experimental scheme covering 16 roads off Mays Lane and either side of Chesterfield Road. Previously, 12 to 15 free spaces stood outside the parade, now cut to five bays at the borough’s top on-street rate. As detailed in the council’s public notice, these include 30-minute and 1-hour max-stay pay-by-phone places outside Nos. 18-19 and 92-94 Mays Lane, operating 8am to 6.30pm Monday to Saturday.

The CPZ aims to manage kerbside space, deter all-day commuter parking, boost short-term turnover near shops, and ease congestion. Resident permits and business permits apply in some lengths between 2pm-3pm weekdays. Experimental orders were made on 4 December 2025 under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

How severely has trade been hit at Coopers of Barnet?

Coopers of Barnet, located at 187 Mays Lane, reports a dramatic 40 per cent drop in trade over the last six weeks.

“The effect on our trade has been dramatic,”

said Sarah Burley, shop assistant at nearby Mays Lane Pets, highlighting the loss of quick-stop customers. Elderly shoppers, who once parked freely for items like bird seeds or doggy treats, now avoid the area as pay-by-phone proves challenging, with charges reaching £3.30 for short visits.

Who launched the petition and what’s the response?

Denise Bagge, proprietor of Mays Lane Pets, organised the petition available at neighbouring shops and online, amassing well over 1,500 signatures. Shop assistant Sarah Burley noted they have been “amazed by the response” and are appealing to Chipping Barnet MP Dan Tomlinson to visit the parade. Echoes appear on platforms like 38 Degrees, where Bagge states,

“I am the owner of Mays Lane Pet Shop and have been serving the local community for many years. Stop parking charges by the shops in Mays Lane, Barnet”.

A Facebook post urges,

“Please everyone sign this petition to stop the parking charges in Mays Lane we had 15 free spaces now only 5 and they are pay by app”.

What alternatives do traders propose?

Mays Lane shop owners say Barnet Council could

“easily introduce a scheme allowing free parking for 20 minutes or half an hour which would be more than enough time for most customers”.

This echoes past Barnet Society concerns over complex pay-by-phone regimes driving away visitors in other areas like High Barnet.

Why was the Underhill South CPZ introduced despite opposition?

Barnet Council pressed ahead despite 85 per cent household opposition and pleas from Whitings Hill Primary School staff and parents. Both Underhill and Whitings Hill Primary Schools submitted formal opposition statements, warning of severe staff parking difficulties. The Quinta Village Green Residents Association notes overwhelming opposition at meetings.

What is the consultation timeline and residents’ plans?

The six-month consultation ends Sunday 14 June, allowing residents to comment. Quinta Green Residents Association and Underhill Residents’ Group aim to complete in-depth surveys and consultations to demonstrate opposition strength. Comments can be sent to Barnet Council’s Design Team, quoting Underhill South CPZ-TMO 2025_55 & 2025_56. A community meeting occurred on 11 February at Whitings Hill Primary School.

What criticisms have traders levelled at Barnet Council?

Sarah Burley of Mays Lane Pets called it

“just a money-making exercise for Barnet Council,”

adding,

“Instead of getting tough with Barnet Hospital and forcing the hospital to build a multi-storey car park, we are all having to suffer just because there isn’t enough parking space for hospital staff, patients and visitors”.

Traders add to “mounting anger over parking restrictions and charges” in the CPZ. Barnet Society previously highlighted similar issues, with traders losing out to punitive regimes.

How does this fit Barnet’s broader parking strategy?

Barnet’s Long-Term Transport Strategy seeks to modify car use and tackle congestion, with higher penalties deterring illegal parking. Complaints to parking teams rose 80 per cent since 2014, prompting moves to Band A charges. Neighbouring Enfield is Band A, adding regional pressure. A December 2025 Barnet Society note claims

“Road safety improved in and around Mays Lane where new Barnet CPZ takes effect,”

contrasting trader views.

What role might MP Dan Tomlinson play?

Traders appeal to Chipping Barnet MP Dan Tomlinson to visit and support. Tomlinson has engaged on local parking, hosting a public meeting on High Barnet station car park plans in March 2025. No direct response on Mays Lane noted yet.

Could the charges be reversed?

The experimental 18-month CPZ allows scrutiny, with consultation feedback potentially influencing permanence. Residents’ surveys by Quinta Green and Underhill groups could sway outcomes. Petition momentum and school opposition strengthen calls for free short-stay options.

This dispute underscores tensions between council traffic management and local commerce in Barnet’s Underhill area. Traders’ fears of closures highlight the human cost of policy shifts, while council notices emphasise congestion relief. As consultation nears its end, resident voices may yet prompt changes. Barnet Society coverage, linking to related CPZ bids, keeps the story alive. With over 1,500 petition signatories, pressure mounts on councillors to balance enforcement with business viability.