18 Jul 2024
A Harpenden town councillor has urged his Lib Dem colleagues to come together and devise a solution to scrapping free car parking in order to raise desperately-needed revenue.
Richard Scott, who represents Harpenden North Ward on HTC, also chairs the corporate policy and finance committee, and is responsible for the economic and commercial vitality of the town, including the High Street.
In an open request to HTC and SADC councillors, he said: “In light of the legitimate financial challenges faced by SADC, your interest in raising additional revenues from parking charges in Harpenden, the public commitments made by HTC in its Business Plan to the economic health of our High Street, and the significant opposition emerging from residents and retailers in Harpenden to these proposed charges, I invite you to consider a joint effort between SADC and HTC to find a mutually agreeable solution to these challenges.
“This discussion would take into account the complementary resources and interests of both organisations with the intention of developing specific proposals to meet the revenue challenges faced by SADC and the obligations of HTC, and would be jointly led by the officers of both councils, facilitated as appropriate by councillors with relevant experience and interest.
“I am sure each of us wishes to make a positive impact on our town and maintain the public trust in the Liberal Democrats that so many of us have worked so hard to achieve over many years.
“I have great confidence in the ability of our respective organisations to work together creatively and constructively to develop mutually agreeable solutions to our concerns on these topics.”
Public consultation on the proposals commences today, but in an interview with the St Albans Times back in May, SADC leader Cllr Paul de Kort said the scheme is going to go ahead regardless of what feedback is received during this process.
“It isn’t a consultation on whether we’re going to do it or not because it’s in a budget and the only way the senior officers signed off on our budget was by us saying we’re going to raise some money from this activity.”
It is expected that the consultation will therefore only address how much people should be charged to park in the town, not whether free parking should be retained.
Cllr Helen Campbell, deputy Lib Dem leader on SADC and chair of the public realm committee, said in response to Richard’s invitation: “The consultation is due to go public on Thursday 18th July and there is then a 28-day period for considered comment from the full of range stakeholders, one of which is Harpenden Town Council. I believe it will be considering its response to the consultation at a meeting next week.”
An extraordinary meeting of Harpenden Town Council has been scheduled for July 22 to discuss the issue.
Meanwhile, a petition has been launched by Harpenden retailers calling on the district council to reverse its decision to charge for on-street parking.
It was set up by Barrie Woolston of Molasses House art gallery in Station Road working alongside other retailers, and has already attracted more than 4,400 signatories.
It states: “We believe that the decision to charge for on street parking in Harpenden town centre was wrongly made without any public consultation, and is in any event unreasonable.
“The council’s parking strategy documents fail to properly or sufficiently consider the impact on the Harpenden economy, local shops or residents.
“We believe the decision will be damaging to the local economy and will directly and adversely affect the residents and their decision to shop locally.
“The council should allow for a minimum of one hour on street free parking in Harpenden Town centre.”
Barrie said: “The retailers of Harpenden are staggered at the news SADC propose to implement on-street parking charges. It will be the death of the High Street. So many smaller, independent retailers and charity shops rely on the customers ‘dropping in’ to browse and buy, or collect items. If parking charges are implemented we will see a dramatic fall off in footfall.
“It is not only the retailers who are bemused by this Liberal party imposed decision. In 72 hrs of an online public petition going live it received over 4,000 signatories of support. The residents of Harpenden have spoken and SADC would be advised to listen – these are the very same residents which voted the Liberal Democrats party into local government power and more recently Victoria Collins as Member of Parliament for Harpenden & Berkhamsted.
“It is a crazy situation. For years the policing of free on-street parking has been erratic at best. We do not understand why SADC would commit to incurring additional costs for signage, parking app fees and local community frustration, when the existing management of free parking is already ineffective.
“The consultation paper for the imposition of parking charges will be issued shortly and the retailers of Harpenden are determined to fight the proposal with gusto. Our livelihoods are at stake.”
Some of the comments from signatories include:
“It is blatant profit over sense: completely unacceptable and will be hugely unpopular.”
“Such charges will impact on everyday activities such as dropping off children for school, attending medical appointments and going to the library. It will also damage commercial activity perhaps terminally, because once a high street starts to decline, it is virtually impossible to reverse the trend.”
“This is yet another money-making exercise by SADC which will do nothing to benefit the Harpenden community and which will have a negative impact on local businesses and residents.”
“I want to support local businesses but won’t be popping into town for anything if I have to pay to park for less than an hour. “Or worse, pay to park to go to the surgery, or dentist or pharmacy. I won’t arrange to meet friends in the town any more either, there are plenty of pubs and cafes elsewhere to meet.”
“This will be catastrophic for small businesses and for those who find parking meters a nightmare to operate in this digital age – especially the elderly who are already constrained and confined to their homes.”
“In their 2024-2029 Plan, SADC’s own vision is for a ‘happy, inclusive and sustainable community’ with one of their five prorities to support our local economy.
“The introduction of parking charges will do neither and furthermore will discriminate against older and disabled people who are unable to walk into town and do not have smartphones.
“Have they consulted local business owners or given any consideration to the unintended consequences – of empty shops, isolated residents and zero community?
“This looks like an own goal to me – which I urge them to reconsider.”
Fiona Thomas from boutique Oui in Bower’s Parade said: “We’re still fighting, and we’re now waiting to find out what is actually going to be in the consultation.
“For now we want to get as many people as possible to sign the petition.”
You can sign the petition against scrapping free car parking in Harpenden here:
