Harpenden residents campaign for controlled parking zone to end ‘untold disruption’

A group of Harpenden residents is campaigning for parking restrictions to reduce the ‘untold disruption’ caused by commuters parking in residential streets.

Residents of Topstreet Way wrote to Harpenden West councillors, MP Bim Afolami and The Harpenden Society, saying that their road has become an overflow car park due to a lack of parking provision at the station and restrictions near the centre of town.

Nick Woollard, who lives in Topstreet Way, wrote in a letter to councillors: “The volume and inconsiderate nature of commuter parking has caused untold disruption to the residents.

“It has created regular blockages to traffic during peak hours, it has led to residents struggling to get on or off their driveways due to overhanging parking and it has regularly forced pedestrians onto the road due to on-pavement parking.

“We also have to deal with some incredibly dangerous driving along the street. In the past two years, there have been two major accidents outside my house, resulting in written-off cars.”

St Albans council published a proposal to put double yellow lines at various points down the street, but many residents believe this fails to recognise the key issues faced by the community and will make the situation worse.

Nick said: “Our concerns are that these proposals are going to be railroaded through against the wishes of the community, or that our opposition will result in a default back to the status quo or another drawn-out and opaque consultation process.”

Harpenden West Labour candidate Henry Meredith said: “Councils across the country are being stretched to breaking point by funding cuts imposed by the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. Perhaps it is unsurprising, therefore, that Topstreet Way residents have had to put up with such a degree of negligence from our Conservative councillors in St Albans.”

Harpenden West Conservative Cllr Daniel Chichester-Miles acknowledged that parking in Harpenden is a serious issue and a conundrum for councillors. He said: “Some people are saying a controlled parking zone would make things easier but it would push the problem further out and make it worse in other roads. It would also limit the number of cars people could have.”