14 Sep 2024
Any decision on whether to charge motorists using London Colney’s Haseldine Road car park has yet to be made, councillors have heard.
The position was confirmed at a meeting of the public realm committee this week, and reiterated SADC leader Cllr Paul de Kort’s statement to this newspaper.
He told the St Albans Times: “There is no current consultation planned for either of these two locations. They were referenced in the February budget but not followed through at that time.
“Free car parks will always cost a council to maintain, so with current financial constraints, will tend to have limited spend on them (as this entirely funded by general Council Tax receipts). A future change in charging policy has always, therefore, to be a consideration.”
A petition opposing any charges was presented to the committee by Cllr Mike Hobday.
It stated: “We ask SADC not to charge drivers to use the free car park on Haseldine Road in London Colney. We believe that the free car park is a vital facility for local residents, shoppers and worshippers at the church and the local mosques. If the council brings in parking charges, then too many cars will simply shift to our local residential roads.”
Cllr Hobday thanked the many businesses who had helped collect the 659 signatures for the petition, all of whom were deeply concerned about the plans for the car park.
He said: “Specialist stores like these bring customers into London Colney who will spend money at other premises. For example the LCIC, I’m told, is the only accessible mosque in St Albans, drawing worshippers from afar into the village and supporting the whole village economy.
“All of them are reliant on customers being able to park. All of them are reliant on the Haseldine Road car park.
“I accept that it’s difficult to own an asset that costs money but doesn’t bring in any income. I understand why the council needs to review different options. What’s important, though, is that the solution has to improve the situation and not make things worse.
“We have car parks for an obvious reason – we want people to use them. We want to support the district’s economy and we want to draw people in to spend their income.
“It’s particularly difficult for village economies, under threat from out-of-town supermarkets, retail estates and the likes of Amazon. How does a village economy survive or thrive?
“In London Colney we have specialist shops who attract customers who then spend their money in the village.
It doesn’t benefit the village if people use nearby shops with free parking. If we disincentivise people from coming to London Colney, we will damage the specialist shops, the supermarkets and the neighbourhood shops. We damage the whole village economy.
“If we charge for the car park, fewer people will use it. They will park on Haseldine Road, on Cherry Tree Avenue and Floral Drive. On the High Street and Morris Way. On Caledon Road.
“This is why, I’m told, we are looking at more than charging for the car park – officers are also considering a residents’ parking zone. Residents will be charged – penalised – up to £100 to park near their homes, up to £300 for a second car. In one of the most economically deprived wards in the district.
“Charging for the car park will damage the village economy – and bring in very little income when cars move onto residential roads. Is it the intention to close the car park and sell off the land?
“Is the only way to raise income for the car park to use a residents parking zone and to penalise residents in neighbouring roads – regardless of whether they want a residents parking zone or not. This isn’t just. The car park isn’t just an asset to be paid for by residents in neighbouring streets, it’s an asset for the whole village community.
“I’m not always sure that the district council does a whole lot for the village. But one thing that it does do is provide a free car park that supports our local economy.
“I hope I’ve made the point that charging for our car park has multiple unintended consequences. I firmly believe that the pain of this solution is worse than the underlying problem.”
Committee chair Cllr Helen Campbell said the petition had somewhat jumped the gun as no consultation was currently underway.
SADC assistant director for public realm (regulatory and compliance) Robin Ray said there would be a review of parking in London Colney as a whole further down the line, but they did not know what the recommendations would be.
Cllr Matt Cowley said he supported the petition, adding that it highlights a problem with SADC budgeting for things they had not already decided to do.
“That’s a very strange way to approach running a budget… In future perhaps we should do the consultations before the budget-setting… so we don’t end up causing stress for about 10 per cent of the population of London Colney who went to the effort of signing a petition for something that might not happen.”
Robin said in some areas it might be possible, but with parking this was unlikely for legal reasons.
Cllr Matt Fisher, who lives and works in the immediate environment, said the only benefit would be a financial one and charging at Haseldine Road would have a negative impact on the village microclimate.
Cllr Campbell confirmed that there is no active consultation on charging for Haseldine Road car park, but that a senior officer would come back to speak to the committee about the matter should it proceed.
