13 Jul 2025
A fresh wave of parking restrictions are being proposed for back streets around the city centre – which councillors say are to help residents who struggle to find spaces.
A consultation is currently underway for changes in Zone N, which covers Bardwell Road, Belmont Hill, Grove Road, De Tany Court, Pondwicks Close, Sopwell Lane, Thorpe Road and sections of Holywell Hill.
SADC wants to increase the operational hours of the zone’s parking restrictions from Monday to Saturday from 8.30am-8pm to Monday to Sunday from 8.30am to 10pm.
This includes reducing single yellow lines and replacing them with permit holder parking places, and revoking redundant disabled parking places and also introducing permit holder spaces instead. A one-hour visitor voucher option will be removed.
Meanwhile, in Zone M, which covers Hart Road, Keyfield Terrace, Albert Street, Old London Road and Pageant Road, the same extension in hours is being proposed, together with plans to reduce the maximum number of residents permits per household should they have off-street parking.
A solo motorcycle bay in Hart Road and Keyfield Terrace would be removed, as would a section of double yellow lines and pay and display parking on Keyfield Terrace.
St Peter’s ward councillor Jacqui Taylor explained the thinking behind the new measures: “The council started to review zones M and N (the Hart Rd to Belmont Hill area) back in 2021 and a number of residents who live in these zones were keen to see some changes and are still waiting. I worked with them on this, in particular to see where extra spaces could be created.
“The things being considered for changes are similar to the those that have been done in other zones like in the Aboyne and Jubilee areas where residents were struggling to park when they came home and sometimes they still do.
“There are a variety of things in the review to try and make the scarce parking on terrace streets better and fairer for the residents who live in these zones.
“Not all the suggestions that are part of the review may happen, people need to respond with their thoughts on this review.
“I would also take this opportunity to say that the council allows Blue Badge parking in residents’ controlled parking zones.
“There should be more parking reviews coming as there are many areas of the city that have been waiting years for a review to make some changes to try and improve the parking situation for the people living in the city centre.
None of these are driven by trying to force people to pay in the car parks but by many requests from people who are experiencing issues with the current situation as well as sometimes the fire service and waste collection who may have found accessing a road problematic.
“I don’t think the council has always got changes it has made right, for example on Lattimore Road that it is now trying to
put right, and it needs to do better with solutions that are not just double yellow lines, to address issues raised like pavement parking which is causing issues for some people, particularly those with accessibility needs or pushchairs etc.
“With regard to hospitality businesses, I have asked the parking team to look at the possibility of making the daily, hourly charges end earlier, so instead of hourly charges being until 6.30pm, they could be until 5.30pm which for the London Road area where there is the cinema, could be better for people parking to use local hospitality businesses pre-cinema.
“My admittedly anecdotal observations are that the Keyfield and London Road car parks have spaces at this time and so lowering charges during this hour could be helpful but we will see what the analysis from the parking team shows on this possibility.”
But not everyone is in agreement with the proposals.
Regular visitor to the city, Park Street resident Gary Broadbent said: “There is no issue whatsoever with using these spaces for free in the evenings. It supports the local pubs, bars and restaurants. Extending the controlled period until 10pm is yet another revenue-raising exercise where the council is only thinking of the money raised, and not the knock-on effects. I notice they were put right at the bottom of the various parking notices on the website, so very few would see them. Rather like the mess-up in Lattimore Road, these are yet more examples of the council seeing motorists as a cash cow and being totally out of touch with public opinion and with no thought for the consequences.”
At the same time, consultation is underway on an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order for Lattimore Road after residents complained that new yellow lines prevented them from having visitors in the evenings and on Sundays.
Under the terms of the ETRO, the council is proposing to revert large sections of double yellow lines back to single yellows on a trial basis, with the effects monitored and assessed over a period of up to 12 months to decide whether they should be permanent.
The restrictions will operate seven days a week from 8am-6.30pm, meaning parking on Sundays is still not possible.
SADC says the experimental measures are designed to increase the available provision of parking places for residents, visitors and local business in Lattimore Road; reduce instances of inappropriate or inconsiderate parking;
and improve road safety, but many residents have questioned why there is a new consultation, especially as their overwhelming opposition to the original scheme appeared to be ignored when SADC steamrolled ahead with their proposals.
Council strategic director for community and place delivery Chris Traill, said: “The pilot scheme has started and can run for a maximum of 18 months, though, it is likely we will review it in the next six to nine months.
“As the scheme is operational, there will be no further changes to the yellow line restrictions from now until the review period.
“We received various responses during the public consultation and these were all considered.
“We do not, though, make decisions simply on the number or responses that agree or disagree with a proposal.
“Instead, we balance the responses with the published Statement of Reasons for introducing the new restrictions.
“These include for example, improvements to road safety, reducing inappropriate parking and ensuring the provision of parking places for residents, their visitors and local business.
“The restrictions have been extended to Sunday to deter people visiting the nearby city centre from parking there instead of paying for car parks and on-street bays.”
To have your say on any of the proposed Traffic Regulation Orders, visit the council’s website at https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/TROS
