Agenda item

Report of the Corporate Director (Resources, Environment and Cultural Services) on the redevelopment of Hatfield Town Centre, including proposals to construct a new multi-storey car in The Common car park. The redevelopment is likely to cause a degree of parking displacement during and after the construction of the new car park.

Members considered the report of the Corporate Director (Resources, Environment and Cultural Services) on the introduction of waiting restrictions in various roads, French Horn Lane, East Ward, Hatfield.  It was noted that work would commence within the next year on the redevelopment of Hatfield Town Centre, including proposals to construct a new multi-storey car park in the ‘The Common’ car park.  It will cause a degree of parking displacement during the construction of the new car park.  Residents and businesses in the roads surrounding the town centre were being consulted on parking restrictions to minimise the effect of any displacement.  The consultation area of ‘French Horn Lane’ initially covered 23 roads to the south and east of the town centre.  The consultation area was later expanded to include Oakland’s Wood and St Albans Road East.

The report noted that in January 2018 the Council had sent out the first round of consultation letters setting out the scope of the consultation.  Options in the survey form for new restrictions included double yellow lines and permit parking zones.  The letter included a proposal to create a Verge Protection Order to prevent parking on grass verges and pavements. 

Some roads returned low number of responses, less than 20%.  These roads were given a second chance to respond in May 2018.  Residents did have the option to ‘Do nothing’ to indicate that no changes were required. The French Horn Lane Area was subsequently divided into five separate areas for further consultation and detailed parking designs.

Areas 1 and 2 have now been completed, with the implementation of new waiting restrictions together with the creation of a new resident permit parking area, Zone B15 and the expansion of existing Zone B02.  The remainder of the report related to the remaining areas 3, 4 and 5 in the French Horn Lane project. Also, this report included measures to address displacement parking which has occurred since the changes to the parking restrictions in Lemsford Road.

The result of the informal consultation, the statutory consultation and the recommended course of action was set out within the report.  One objection had been received which related to the proposed parking restrictions in Area 4 – these were set out in Appendix A attached to the report.  Members asked how many complaints had been received but an exact figure was not available.

Members sought clarification on the measures taken to address an area which has seen parking migrating from a recently created restricted zone to the opposite side.  It was clarified that as the area in question was within the zone that has been monitored for six months and part of the original planned work; work had taken place immediately to address the situation.

Attention was also drawn to the ‘Birds’ area and when this zone would be addressed to alleviate the parking problems.  Officers explained that this area will be considered and placed on the work programme once other works have been completed but unfortunately it is outside the current areas being worked on and not on the work programme at present.

            RESOLVED

That the Panel considers the objection received in 4.1 and in addition the issues raised in Section 15 around equalities and diversity.  Having considered all the detailed issues in this report including any proposed mitigating actions; recommends to Cabinet to proceed with the creation of traffic regulation order (Appendix B) for reasons set out in the report.