Dear all,

Several months have now passed since I started this petition to raise concerns about the state of Edgware Station Road. While there was some early progress, it is important to be honest about where things stand today. The pace of change has slowed dramatically, and many of the core problems remain unresolved.

I have continued to push these issues through the proper channels, including repeated contact with Barnet Council through the office of our MP, David Pinto-Duschinsky. Unfortunately, the results so far highlight just how limited and ineffective this process has been.

Broken and uneven pavements remain untouched
Despite extensive photographic evidence and daily lived experience by residents, the Council’s official position following a site visit is that the broken and uneven pavements are at what they call a non-intervention level. We were told that paving defects must reach a minimum of 25mm before the Council will act.

In practical terms, this means that although the pavements are clearly damaged, uneven, and unpleasant to walk on, nothing will be done until someone is seriously hurt. We pay high council taxes, yet the most used and most visible street in Edgware is allowed to remain ugly and neglected because, so far, no one has cracked their head open.

Neglected phone boxes still blight the street
BT informed the MP’s office that some phone boxes may be removed, but others cannot be because they are supposedly still in use. Who is actually using them, if anyone at all, remains a mystery. Months later, nothing has changed. The phone boxes are still there, some with no phone inside at all, just exposed wiring, and all of them covered in posters and stickers.

No pavement cleaning machine, no real street care
One of the most basic requests was for proper mechanical pavement cleaning. This still has not happened. No pavement vacuuming machine has been purchased, and deep cleaning of the pavements is still missing. A busy high street cannot be maintained with occasional manual sweeping alone.

Limited impact of MP involvement
The MP’s office has tried to approach both BT and Barnet Council on my behalf. However, it is clear that his powers are limited. The conversations have produced polite replies, technical thresholds, and offers of meetings, but very little actual improvement on the street. The lack of urgency and accountability from the Council remains the real issue.

Where this leaves us
A few bins and slightly cleaner sections of road are not enough. Months have passed, the problems are well documented, and yet progress is minimal. This is not about luxury upgrades. It is about basic safety, cleanliness, and dignity for a main street used every day by residents, shoppers, families, and commuters.

What happens next depends on numbers
This petition exists because individual emails and complaints are too easy to ignore. If you have already signed, please ask friends, neighbours, family members, and local business owners to sign as well. The more signatures we have, the stronger our position to approach the Council directly and demand clear answers, timelines, and real action.

Pressure works only when it is sustained and visible. Without it, nothing changes.

Thank you for continuing to support this petition and for refusing to accept neglect as the standard for Edgware Station Road.

Zac

Petition link: Restoring Pride in Edgware Station Road  https://c.org/6F9xzMdzq9