A supermarket has been accused of contributing to “traffic chaos” by failing to stop rat running through its car park.

Trevor Taylor, who lives in Firs Avenue, Friern Barnet, said the Tesco Extra store at the Coppetts Centre, off the North Circular Road, had built a new exit from its car park on to Colney Hatch Lane – but had not split the car park into two sections.

This means drivers cut through the car park from the North Circular on to Colney Hatch Lane when the road is busy, he claimed.

Splitting the car park into a west and east section with a barrier stopping movement between the two was one of the conditions put in place by Barnet Council when it granted planning permission for the exit in 2016.

While the new exit is often blocked off with signs and barriers, photos taken by Mr Taylor show it has been used by cars.

Times Series: Cars using the new car park exit (Photo: Trevor Taylor)Cars using the new car park exit (Photo: Trevor Taylor)

Mr Taylor said: “When the North Circular gets busy, drivers use Tesco as a rat run to Colney Hatch Lane. You get gridlock, and people circle around the site, causing anger and road rage.

“The other thing about the traffic is it exits Tesco in Colney Hatch Lane, then U-turns at the end of Poplar Grove. There is traffic chaos and people crossing there.

“This has been going on since December.”

Mr Taylor said Tesco had also failed to put up a sign at the North Circular access road saying “no through road to Colney Hatch Lane” – even though it was included in the plans that were approved by the council.

Despite repeatedly asking Barnet Council to enforce the planning conditions, he said the conditions continued to be flouted.

The council’s planning portal shows it has issued an enforcement notice to Tesco for breaching the condition that states measures should be in place to stop cars moving from the west to the east of the car park before the new exit is in use.

A Tesco spokesperson said: “We’re sorry for the delay in our effort to complete the car park and highways alterations and would like to reassure you that we’re talking to the council’s highways team about when we can restart work. We hope that we can recommence as soon as possible.”

A council spokesperson said: “We have issued Tesco with a planning enforcement notice requiring that certain steps are taken to secure compliance with the relevant planning permission. We are in discussions with Tesco at present.”