24 May 2024
The Harpenden town councillor who oversees the High Street has reassured retailers that HTC is fully behind local businesses following a backlash against the introduction of new parking charges.
The St Albans Times first broke the story about SADC’s budget-balancing plans to scrap free parking bays in Harpenden, prompting impassioned responses from traders who feared it would drive away customers.
Now Cllr Richard Scott has spoken out about the town council’s ongoing commitment to protecting local retail hubs, and explained how parking fees were necessary to keep SADC’s finances in the black.
He said: “As chair of the corporate policy and finance committee, whose remit includes the High Street, I have in the past two weeks spoken directly with over 50 businesses operating in the High Street and Southdown.
“These discussions covered the expected changes that will be proposed by the parking officers of St Albans district council. In these discussions, I have listened to business feedback and learned a great deal regarding the diversity and complexity of their requirements. This proactive engagement will continue over the coming weeks.
“I have shared with each business, many of which are independent retailers, about the background to the SADC review. I have explained SADC’s obligations to set a balanced budget under challenging financial conditions, including persistent underfunding by the Conservative government.
“Local businesses understand the need to make difficult decisions to balance the books. I have also shared an update regarding when we expect the SADC officers to publish their proposals and the timing of the subsequent SADC consultation process.
“Importantly, I have also invited Harpenden businesses to work directly with HTC to review the SADC proposals in detail, through the specific lens of the High Street and Southdown. In this HTC review, we will assess the implications of the SADC proposals and make constructive proposals as we see fit. I have been delighted with the positive responses from our local business community to this invitation.
“In November 2023, HTC agreed to a four-year business plan which includes a commitment to ’promote the economic and commercial vitality of small businesses, including the High Street, Southdown and other retail hubs’. This plan was voted through by town councillors from both Liberal Democrat and Conservative groups. Harpenden Town Council’s vision is clear: our goal is for Harpenden to continue to be “a vibrant and successful town where people want to live, to work, to invest in and to visit”. We will stand by this commitment.”
But his reassurances have not been felt by all retailers. Harpenden shop owner Fiona Thomas claimed the issue of parking has united fellow retailers in opposition to the plans.
Fiona, who owns boutique Oui in Bower’s Parade, said although she appreciated the rationale behind the proposals, she did not think it was the right decision for the town.
“I know the council has to raise money, and I completely understand that, but they’re going to charge for parking everywhere, which is a major problem as basically it’s going to stop people wanting to come here.
“It’ll stop people who are just driving past seeing something in the window and saying ‘I quite like that, I’m just going to dive in there and grab that’, because it they’ve got to pay for an hour’s parking it doesn’t really make sense.
“There are also lot of developments which older people live in and if they’re going to do a shop they can’t actually walk back with it, they’re not strong enough, so therefore they do need to use their car.”
She says other retailers are also against the scheme: “Sometimes different shops will have different views on things, sometimes we don’t always agree on everything, but all the retailers are saying we absolutely need the free parking.
“Some may need people maybe to stay a bit longer in the town, other people need a higher footfall, which is why the mix of free parking times is really good.
“The more time that people stay in the town, the more money they’re going to spend while they’re here, but a few miles up the road, about two and a half miles up the road, they’re going to build a massive shopping centre where people can get free parking.
“The High Street has started to recover after Covid, and just within the last few months there are less people wearing masks. For us, retail isn’t just about what goes through the till.
“We’re a community, we have people who come in who might be grieving and we make them a cup of tea.
“They might not buy anything, and that doesn’t matter, because actually you want to be there to support people. It’s part of being a small independent shop and it’s what they get from us.
“We spend a lot of time with our customers, we get to know them really well. We get to know the families, we get to know the parents, we get to know the children. It’s just how it is, it’s the whole circle of life really.
“Covid was such a tough time we’re all still paying back our bounceback loans, and although we’re doing well, it’s all still quite fragile. We just don’t need anything that’s going to actually knock us back.”
She suggested better enforcement of the existing free parking bays could prove a money-spinner for SADC: “We rarely see a traffic warden in Harpenden.
“If they just police the parking, the amount that they’ll probably generate from fines would actually be huge.
“We’ve probably seen traffic wardens just a handful of times in the last few years.
“I think for us, across the board, parking is the biggest issue that all of the retailers have.
“We can fight our own landlords with the rent, but you don’t need anything else.”
Elsewhere in Harpenden, Lara Wares of high-end gift shop Threads said she felt retailers’ views were being ignored.
“I was shocked and dismayed by [SADC leader] Cllr Paul De Kort’s statement that, although the consultation hasn’t yet happened, the abolishment of free on-street parking is definitely set to go ahead.
“He stated that he doesn’t ‘buy’ the concerns about the impact it will have on the High Street, but hasn’t yet spoken to retailers to find out what the issues and impact will be.
“Our customers are expressing genuine concern over a myriad of different issues so I call upon Paul, and his fellow district councillors (who after all were voted in by us, to represent us), to commit to it being a genuine consultation where they listen, discuss and take into account the views of Harpenden residents, Harpenden businesses and town centre schools.”
Mary Durkin, owner of Serena Hart gift shop, added: “Regarding the proposal to charge for all parking in the area, including on-street parking, I believe my small independent business would be adversely affected.
“Hopefully, when the public consultation takes place, we will be furnished with an in-depth cost analysis as I’m not sure how the figures quoted have been arrived at.
“I feel parking charges will seriously impact my business and its future viability, and I don’t think mine is the only business that will be affected. Additionally, I haven’t spoken to a single customer or resident who is in favour of the charges.
“I’m genuinely appalled at the proposal.”
