Vandalised ULEZ camera pole left littering grass verge at Arkley – a reminder of the campaign of sabotage around High Barnet

Arkley’s much admired volunteer litter picker is having to admit defeat when confronted with an abandoned ULEZ camera pole which was left lying on the grass verge after being cut down during a wave of sabotage.

Because of High Barnet’s position as an entry point to the ULEZ zone, roads in and around the town were regularly targeted by vandals protesting at Transport for London’s £12.50 charge on vehicles failing to meet the new ultra-low emission standards.

After two poles were felled in Rowley Lane, Arkley, close to the junction with the A1 fly over, TfL finally gave up in August 2023 – but the last pole to be erected, minus its camera, was left on the verge, and was partly submerged in last summer’s undergrowth.

Lying there forlornly, the abandoned pole is an eyesore – and TfL’s failure to take it away does hamper the work of Peter Lassman who does all he can to keep Rowley Lane free of rubbish.

Peter, who lives in Rowley Lane, has been a volunteer litter picker for the last ten years and takes great pride in keeping one of the main approaches to Arkley as free of rubbish as possible.

“As one of the older residents I’m very happy to do my bit trying to keep Arkley clean and tidy. I do my best to collect litter all along Rowley Lane right up to Barnet Road.

“Most of the rubbish is discarded cans and bottles together with a lot of plastic waste. The verges look so much better after a clean-up, especially now that spring is coming, but there’s not much I can do about the camera pole.”

Mr Lassman’s dedication is a reflection of the community spirit within Arkley which prides itself on its village identity – a point which is reinforced with the Arkley village signs on the main approach roads.

After giving up on its attempt to install a ULEZ camera at the A1 fly over end of Rowley Lane, TfL erected a substitute at the junction of Rowley Lane and Rowley Green Road which has remained standing for the last nine months.

At the height of the anti-ULEZ protest, camera poles were cut down with angle grinders last year at the junction of St Albans Road and Stapylton Road and on Hadley Green at the junction of Drury Road and Sydney Chapman Way.

There were numerous cases of vandalism to the cameras in the summer and autumn of 2023.