11 Dec 2025
The controversy surrounding on-street parking charges across the district has taken a new turn after it was revealed SADC will not be actioning any recommendations made by Harpenden Town Council following its survey into the town’s fees.
At the recent Full Council meeting, leader Cllr Paul de Kort confirmed that while the district would give HTC’s survey the attention “it deserves”, they had no intention of implementing any of its recommendations.
His comments came as he faced questions from other councillors on the administration’s approach to consultations and parking.
Cllr Matt Cowley said: “At the most recent meeting of the strategy and resources committee, the leader said, and I quote, ‘I’m used to being a minority and I’m used to being right’. Well, his group aren’t the minority in this chamber, but does he think that the confidence he has that he’s right about things has contributed towards a public perception that perhaps this administration doesn’t value public consultations in the way that the public think they should?”
To which Cllr de Kort gave the one word answer: “No.”
Cllr David Heritage then asked: “As the leader is a resident of Harpenden, he will be aware that the Harpenden Town Council is currently conducting a parking survey with all residents and businesses, the result of which will be shared with this council. Please could the leader assure Harpenden residents and businesses that their views will be implemented?”
Cllr de Kort replied: “Not implemented, of course, because they’re not in the position to do that. And to be really clear, people talk a bit about the lack of democracy that was shown about Harpenden parking. In fact, people go on and on and on, particularly in social media.
“I was elected as a district councillor when the Harpenden on-street parking proposals were well known. The local MP [Victoria Collins] was elected when the Harpenden on-street parking proposals were well known, so much well known that the only thing in the literature of their opponent was the Harpenden parking proposals.
“There was an overwhelming victory for Victoria Collins, there was overwhelming victory for me, so we won’t be implementing what a survey says or what the Harpenden Town Council say they would like to happen. However, I can assure you that we will look at it with the full amount of attention that it deserves.”
His comments have provoked a backlash from councillors and campaigners in the town, including local businesswoman Elaine Bradford, who has been instrumental in leading the fight against the charges.
She told the St Albans Times: “The clear distain for the democratic process is mindblowing, unbelievable in fact.
“The distain and rudeness with which Cllr de Kort speaks to other democratically elected councillors is just not acceptable.
“Harpenden Town Council are working hard to listen to the concerns of residents and businesses in the town and have always opposed the parking charges in their current form and have taken action to initiate a survey to present to the council to show residents and business concerns.
“The fact that the leader of the council can dismiss such concerns or evidence placed before him with a wave of his hand is not in any way shape or form acceptable. This is the people and businesses speaking and he still will not listen. This is not democracy.
“I and 50 other businesses in the town are still waiting for him to come and meet with us to discuss the impact the parking charges are having on the independent businesses in the town and he still refuses. Rather like a young child he seems to believe if he closes his eyes, we can’t see him – but we can see you and you ignoring us won’t make us go away.
“To Paul de Kort I say with only 1,081 votes making you a district councillor and therefore eligible to be leader of the council, this is hardly the whopping majority you speak of in a town of 31,000 residents who you continually refuse to listen to. I think it is time for you to consider his position.”
Meanwhile, councillors are proposing another Controlled Parking Zone in St Albans city centre – this time operating seven days a week from 8.30am-10pm.
The CPZ would affect Avenue Road, Hillside Road, Lemsford Road, Manor Road, St Peter’s Road and Townsend Avenue, all of which are currently free to park at any time and are often used by city centre workers during the day.
Residents’ permits would cost between £15.80 to £483 per year depending on the type and number of vehicles, with a Ford Focus costing between £60.40 to £301.90 per year. The maximum stay for visitors will be two hours and will cost £5.
SADC says: “The council’s Parking Strategy outlines our aims to deliver an efficient service that provides fair and safe parking across the district to help shape, manage, and deliver the council’s vision for parking. It sets out how we manage kerbside space to reduce the impact of parking on the environment.
“By managing the kerbside set out in the proposal, we will make significant improvements and provide benefits as outlined: increase the available provision of resident parking places; reduce instances of inappropriate or inconsiderate parking; improve access to adjacent properties; reduce congestion; improve road safety, and encourage active travel.
“[SADC] continues to work hard to increase efficiency and reduce running costs where possible, the cost of providing parking services should be met from the income received from fees and charges, including permitting schemes for parking on street and the issue of Penalty Charge Notices for motorists who park in contravention.”
A consultation on the scheme is currently ongoing, but this has met with a degree of cynicism from motorists and opposition councillors alike.
Music lover Gary Broadbent, who regularly visits nearby pub The Mermaid for the live bands on Sunday afternoons, said: “This is another cash grab, pure and simple. As we all know the results of council consultations are ignored if they don’t agree with what’s already been planned, as seen in Harpenden and at Westminster Lodge.
“The extra income from this is probably already in the budget, and until now the consultation has received minimal publicity.
“A sensible approach would be for the restrictions to be weekdays only and to finish at 6.30pm. This would help the residents to park, but critically not affect the evening and weekend trade in nearby pubs and restaurants, and The Mermaid on a Sunday, but of course that wouldn’t be as profitable.”
Conservative group leader on SADC, Cllr Matt Cowley, also responded to the controversy: “Over the past few weeks, the leader of the council has said the quiet part out loud. He and his administration believe that they know better than residents – and no matter what damage their parking charges do to the lives of people in our district, they won’t listen to residents and make changes.
“It is clearer than ever that the only way to get a council that will listen to residents is by voting the Liberal Democrats out and replacing them with a group who will. As Conservative leader, I’ll keep listening to local people and using their views to shape our work.
“I will be closely following the results of the consultation on the CPZ in the Hillside Road area. Too often, residents are being ignored in consultation as part of the Lib Dems’ continued crusade against people doing the right thing and driving to visit our fantastic local businesses. I will keep fighting for those residents.”
