AN irritated resident has blasted the local authorities for closing the narrow street in which he lives without warning and failing to provide additional parking for residents who already struggle to find a space on the road.

David Anderson said it was still havoc in Dalton Street, St Albans, since it was shut off at the beginning of March, a move he described as “utterly thoughtless”.

He said the water company dug up “great swathes” of the street, denying people access to the parking zone they paid for annually and causing “irate motorists” to drive along the pavements, adding: “It is only a matter of time until there is a serious accident.”

David, a partner at an accounting and consulting network, went on: “People are getting really annoyed. There was no warning, no communication – absolutely nothing. No planning has gone into it [the work], and there was no consideration for the local people at all.”

In addition to the works, David claims St Albans’ drivers use the constricted road as a cut through to St Peter’s Street, leading to regular traffic issues and often personal attacks: “I’ve been insulted and all sorts of things. I’m just trying to get back to my house. Good old local St Albans residents!”

The 60 year old added he was walking with his little boy the other day on the path and they were beeped at because people were trying to double park: “I don’t want my little boy not feeling safe.”

Now the father-of-four said something needs to be done to alleviate the problems: “They [the council] never come up with anything to help other than putting the car parking costs up and pay for more parking wardens.

Mike Lovelady, St Albans council’s head of legal, democratic and regulatory services, said: “When our council’s parking team is made aware of road works, we ask the organisation carrying out the work to write to residents informing them of what is planned.

“If the location concerned is within a parking zone, we also ask the organisation to advise residents that they are permitted to use their permits to park in adjacent zones for the duration of the works.

“We will then advise our parking enforcement officers of this arrangement. In this case, the parking team was not informed of the road works in advance and we will raise the matter with the organisation concerned.”

But an Affinity Water spokesman said: “When a project such as this is planned, we notify councillors and work with local authorities to minimise disruption. We also notify residents that are affected by letter and also post a leaflet through their mail box explaining why we have to carry out the work.”

He added the work in Dalton Street was part of a larger £2.3million project of investment in the area to prevent pipe bursts with over 74 other streets and was due for completion by the end of April 2013.