The Barrier Gate Lock ® system features in a case study for best practice. This case study is based on paid parking estate schemes within Clapton Neighbourhood in North London.

The objective of the scheme:

• Ensure 24 hours emergency vehicle access onto housing estates
  
  
• Prevent abandoned vehicles on housing estates
  
  
• Prevent the dumping of rubbish and bulk items on the estates
  
  
• Control vehicular access onto the estates

The Council had procedures in place for the letting and management of parking spaces & garages. The Estate Parking Permit Enforcement Scheme commenced on 28th November 2001.

However, these schemes were not strictly controlled and did not take into account vehicle related anti social behaviour and the affects of such nuisances on our residents / estate communal areas.

The Clapton Partnership was formed in October 2001 as a result of the Council’s proposed Estate Improvements Initiative for 2001 / 2002. The initiative is founded on a partnership approach between residents, the Council and other agencies working principally at estate level. Tenants and Residents Associations and Estate Committees were at the forefront in establishing the needs of the estate, monitoring progress and contributing local knowledge.

The partnership produced a vision statement which highlighted the following as its basic objectives:

• Make Clapton a desirable place to live
  
  
• Make Clapton a place where Council services are delivered effectively and co-operatively
  
  
• A community that supports neighbours through regular interaction with the support of an active
  
  
• Make Clapton housing estates a safer and more secure place to live
  
  
• Make Clapton an area where all sections of the community have equal access to service

As a result of the partnership’s basic objectives, the “Paid Parking Estate Scheme” was created with the acceptance that the absence of an effective control of access to our estates, had lead to the increase of anti social behaviour on the communal areas (i.e. dumping of rubbish, abandoned vehicles, prostitution from vehicle and the selling of drugs). Clapton Neighbourhood has had a great deal of success with the new parking system.

The Neighbourhood has also reduced the amount of abandoned vehicles it dealswith by 80% and hope to achieve 100% when all estates are incorporated within the scheme.

`The “Paid Parking Estate Scheme” is centred around specially designed Gerda gates & keys which when used by residents can only be retrieved by closing the gate. When an estate has been identified for the introduction of a “Paid Parking Estate Scheme” the Housing Manager must contact the Estate Safety Manager so that a joint inspection can be carried out of the estate. This inspection will consider the following:

1. The number of Garda Gates needed to secure the estate.

2. The placement of bollards for the protection of certain areas within the Estate.

3. The number of rented parking bays that can be created (this should include a number of disabled parking bays).

4. The cost of painting these bays and other no Parking signs on the ground.

5. The placement of signs to estate entrances confirming “No Unauthorised Parking & Statutory Fees Apply”.

Estimates for the above works must be obtained and passed to the Head of Area Housing Services for discussion with the Neighbourhood Panel and the Tenants & Residents Association of the identified estate. The scheme will then be considered under the “Estate Repairs & Maintenance Initiative”. On approval of a “Paid Parking Estate Scheme” the Housing Manager will initiate procedures to ensure its smooth introduction.

The initiative lays down certain procedures including:

• Commencement procedure
  




• Liaison with Highways dept
  
  
• Liaison with Rent Account Section
  
  
• Leaflets to tenants advising of scheme
  
  
• Procedure for vehicle removal
  


• Enforcement procedure
  




• Rental of car parking spaces
  
  
• Monitoring of allocated car parking spaces
  
  
• Barrier Gate key policy
  
  
• Access for deliveries/removals vehicles for residents without a parking bay
  
  
• Monitoring of unauthorised parking

The initiative takes into account both health & safety policy together with daily management responsibility. With unauthorised vehicle related anti-social behaviour, the initiative aims to reduce this type of behaviour from a health and safety perspective. The initiative takes into account relevant legislation and logistical considerations within its parking scheme:

Examples of logistical considerations include:

• ensuring the width of the estate road for the passage of emergency appliances is not less than 3.2 metres as a result of unauthorised parking
  
  
• ensuring that emergency appliances turning and sweep circles are not blocked by unauthorised parking

For further information please contact the locks department on 00 44 (1)638 562277 or click through to our to online Contact Form