Agenda and minutes

To note any substitution of Committee Members in accordance with Council Procedure Rules 19 – 22.

The following substitution of Panel Member had been made in accordance with Council Procedure Rules 19-22:-

Councillor L. Musk for A. Chesterman.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor A. Chesterman.

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 7 March 2019 (previously circulated).

The Minutes of the meeting held on 7 March 2019 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To note declarations of Members’ disclosable pecuniary interests, non-disclosable pecuniary interests and non-pecuniary interests in respect of items on this Agenda.

Councillors S. Boulton and P. Zukowskyj declared a non-pecuniary interest in items on the agenda as appropriate by virtue of being Members of Hertfordshire County Council.

Report of the Corporate Director (Resources, Environment and Cultural Services) on the introduction of waiting restrictions and verge and footway prohibition in various roads, Birchwood, Hatfield.

Report of the Corporate Director (Resources, Environment and Cultural Services) on the introduction of waiting restrictions and verge and footway prohibition in various roads, Birchwood, Hatfield.  The report noted that in November 2016, the Council delivered parking survey forms to all residents within the Birchwood area.  Residents were asked if they would like to see any changes to the parking restrictions, options included in the resident permit schemes and single/double yellow lines.  Birchwood was split into three areas.  Area Three and Great North Road was completed in 2018 and the report focused on the remaining sections of the Birchwood consultation area.

Areas two and three are mainly residential with some shops within Birchwood Avenue by the junctions of Homestead Road and Crawford Road.  To the east of the residential areas is the Great North Road industrial area.  Some residents within the consultation area had previously contacted Parking Services highlighting significant parking demand in certain roads, often where there is a cluster of homes close together, sharing a small section of highway.  Parking Services carried out parking improvements within the area where it was possible to introduce extra parking spaces.  This included the creation of additional 9 parking bays in Cornerfield and 7 bays in Branch Close.

The results of the informal consultation, the statutory consultation and the recommended course of action were presented.  A total of 1647 residents and businesses had been consulted.  Six objections had been received and these were shown in Appendix A attached to the report.

The Officer advised that Council Officers had been out on site on a Friday night and witnessed at 12.30am that out of the nine parking bays there were three spaces available. 

It was noted that the Council can amend proposals once advertised, as long as they make the scheme less restrictive.  This can be done without having to re-advertise the Traffic Regulation Order.  It was brought to the Panel’s attention that the Council’s standard procedure is to monitor new parking restrictions for the first six months after they have been implemented.  A discussion ensued on obtaining amendments to the proposals once these have been executed. 

Members agreed with the proposals for verge and footway prohibition Order to help alleviate the problem of parking and to provide parking bays.  A Member expressed concern in respect of the statement within the report ‘additional nine parking spaces in nearby Cornerfield, which can be accessed in a 2-5 minute walk via a pathway to Great Heath opposite those parking bays’.  He advised that for some residents a car is an expensive item and parking the vehicle at a distance whereby its alarm is not audible to the owner can be an issue.

Further consideration was given to public transport links, travelling to the train station and a need for an improved County bus service to reduce car journeys.

There was one late objection received pertaining to yellow lines which was considered with the proposals for Great Heath to improve road safety and visibility and to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 139.