Agenda item

Having considered the objections received and in addition the issues raised around equalities and diversity and all the detailed issues, including any proposed mitigating actions, the Cabinet agreed with the Cabinet Planning and Parking Panel’s recommendation to proceed with the creation of both the Verge Protection Order and the Residents Parking Permit Scheme.

The Panel had considered the introduction of waiting restrictions, a resident permit parking scheme and verge protection order in various roads, Roe Green, Central Ward, Hatfield.

It was noted that in recent years a large number of complaints had been received from residents in the Roe Green area of Hatfield about people parking in the residential roads when visiting the Galleria rather than paying for parking in the Galleria car park.  The Council in October 2016 started the parking consultation in the Roe Green area of Hatfield and the scheme was split into two, with Area One including the roads to the west of Lemsford Road being engaged in the first round. As a result of the consultation a resident permit parking scheme, together with additional waiting restrictions was introduced in various roads in Roe Green operating on Monday to Saturday from 8.00am to 6.00pm. Following the successful implementation of the scheme, a number of complaints continued to be received from residents concerning vehicles either parked on the footway or grass verge and a further letter was sent to residents informing them that they would be consulted on a verge protection order during the second round of consultation.

The Council received more and more requests all over the Borough to address vehicles parking on the verge and pavements and until recently, enforcement of parking on the pavement was within the remit of the Police, as this could be classed as an obstruction; however this was now regarded as a low priority for the Police due to other work pressures. Without an order in place, vehicles parked on the verge and green areas were reported through to the Council and the Street Warden team monitored and placed notices on vehicles parking in such areas, requesting that they refrain from doing so. The introduction of an order would provide the Civil Enforcement Officers with the means to effectively and robustly enforce vehicle parking in these areas by issuing a Parking Ticket.

In January 2018 the Council started the parking consultation in Area Two with the remaining roads predominantly to the east of Lemsford Road, Hatfield.

The results of the informal consultation, the statutory consultation and the recommended course of action were noted. Approximately 1800 properties and businesses had been consulted.

Twelve objections had been received relating to the proposed resident parking scheme and one relating to the proposed verge protection order.

The proposed operational days and times were based on the majority response from residents and would be monitored for six months, as with all changes to parking restrictions because there were different groups parking in these roads throughout the day. Residents had been supportive of the proposed parking proposals.

RESOLVED:

That having considered the objections received and in addition the issues raised around equalities and diversity and all the detailed issues, including any proposed mitigating actions, the Cabinet agrees to proceed with the creation of both the Verge Protection Order and the Residents’ Parking Permit Scheme as unanimously recommended by the Cabinet Panel.