19 Feb 2026
Fresh concessions offered by the district council in the wake of the ongoing controversy surrounding on-street parking charges in Harpenden do not go far enough, say campaigners.
This week, a year after SADC initially imposed the fees, local Liberal Democrats proposed to create approximately 40 one-hour free on-street parking bays in Arden Grove, Southdown Road, Thompsons Close and Victoria Road.
That is approximately 16 per cent of the 243 bays in operation across the town centre.
Parking prices across the town would also be frozen for the next financial year.
The SADC administration said the proposed changes come after a year of monitoring and data-gathering by, followed by a review of that data as well as listening to the views of residents and businesses, including respondents to a recent survey by Harpenden Town Council. After a formal advertising period, proposals would be implemented in the early summer.
Last year HTC spent approximately £30,000 commissioning independent public sector research organisation Public Perspectives to gather the opinions of residents and businesses on accessing and visiting the town centre, including the consequences of changes to the limited waiting parking bays.
Their research revealed there are less visits to the town centre and less time and money spent compared to a year ago, with parking charges the most commonly cited reasons for changes in use or experience of the town centre.
This week’s concessions announcement was made by Cllr Helen Campbell, chair of SADC’s public realm committee and lead on parking, who said: “Since parking charges were introduced a year ago, we’ve been closely monitoring data – as well as listening to local feedback.
“We’ve been able to find a way to deliver more free parking for Harpenden whilst keeping the council afloat – and delivering things like increased parking enforcement, which residents have repeatedly asked for.
“Our review looked at feedback from residents and businesses about the impact of the previous changes, hard data about usage, as well as the revenue raised from the measures. The Harpenden Town Council survey added extra context about how people get to the high street too.
“Taking all of this together, we are really pleased to announce these changes which we believe will better balance the needs of residents and businesses with the need to balance the books when it comes to council finances.”
Harpenden MP Victoria Collins said: “I’m grateful to the many residents and businesses that have shared their views with me over the past year, including Harpenden Town Council’s research which provided extra helpful context. I have regularly ensured this feedback was heard and taken into account. The Lib Dem team has fought hard to find a way to deliver extra free parking where it’s needed most, in a way that keeps our council finances strong too.
“In Parliament, I’ll be keeping up the fight for more investment in our local authorities – so that councils can focus on delivering services for local people – as well as support for our high streets and independent businesses.”
Plans to introduce parking charges were initially revealed by the St Albans Times in early 2024 after we picked through the minutiae of council budget proposals and discovered a few buried lines about introducing fees in bays which had previously been completely free for one or two hours.
The public realm committee’s budget recommendations subsequently included the measure: “Full year effect of changes to On Street Parking fees proposed to be implemented part way through 2024/25. Total full year income: £60k St Albans (70 bays) and £208k Harpenden (243 Bays).”
But in the first few weeks of the scheme, the fees generated much higher income than expected, with projections suggesting an annual income of approximately £287,000.
On-street parking charges have been passionately opposed by local businesses and residents, the Harpenden Society, Harpenden Town Council and Conservative opposition councillors, with an ongoing campaign calling for them to be reversed or amended.
This week they have been reacting to the administration’s proposed concessions.
Town councillor Richard Scott said: “I welcome the fact that St Albans City and District Council is now beginning to acknowledge the depth of concern in Harpenden over the introduction of charges on previously free on-street parking bays.
“However, the limited concession announced this week falls well short of what residents and local retailers have consistently asked for: one hour of free parking across all on-street bays in Harpenden town centre.
“Making the first hour free in around 40 bays is a modest step, but it represents only a small fraction of the 243 on-street bays affected by the charging regime. Many businesses, particularly towards the northern end of the High Street, will still see customers charged after just 30 minutes.
“Harpenden Town Council made its position clear in November 2024, calling for the first hour to be free across all on-street bays. This view is also supported by community groups such as the Harpenden Society. It is telling that Harpenden Town Council felt compelled to commission an independent survey, at significant cost, simply to demonstrate the damage being done to local trade and footfall.
“The SADC proposals are now out for consultation. I would urge residents and retailers to respond and restate, firmly but reasonably, that the right policy for Harpenden is one hour free parking across all on-street bays.”
Former Conservative parliamentary candidate for Harpenden, Nigel Gardner, fought his General Election campaign in opposition to the charges: “This move is to be welcomed. But let’s not be under any illusions. It’s a tiny concession. It’s a handful of free parking places not even on the High Street.
“If the council genuinely accepted the heartache on our High Street, they would come up with much more.
“Free parking on the High Street has still been scrapped. Our pensioners have still lost their cherished parking permits. And many are still struggling with the hated app.
“I fear this plan is tokenism. It simply doesn’t recognise how much is at stake here. Half-baked council policies and half-baked concessions will be the death warrant of our High Street.
“We need to make visiting our High Street as easy as possible for everyone. We need to defend with all our strength our hard-pressed wonderful independent traders.
“If we lose these businesses, the only gainers will be the online multinationals.”
Business owner Elaine Bradford, who has been instrumental in leading a campaign against the charges, said: “This is a welcome start. It has been more than clear over the past year that the 30 minutes free parking has not been enough to help the shops on the High Street, many of which are independent shops who have struggled for survival this last year. It is good that SADC are beginning to listen.
“I would ask SADC to go further, so that retailers are able to recover from the last year’s effect on their profits. We need at least one hour free parking across the whole of Harpenden to encourage shoppers back to our lovely High Street with our quite unique independent shops.
“It has been clear that SADC need to increase their revenue streams and it is good to see that they are, at last, beginning to take into consideration residents and local independent businesses.
“I cannot believe that they were even considering raising the price of parking. In fact, I look forward to hearing SADC’s justification for keeping the price of an hour’s parking so high when they have made so much revenue this last year.
“With SADC making so much more revenue than predicted over the last year, there is still some way to go. It is time for to not only review the free parking limit but also review the price of an hour’s parking, According to surveys over the past year, a cost of around £1.50 per hour would be more agreeable to shoppers to encourage their return our lovely High Street.”
Retailer Lara Wares, owner of Threads, said: “I’m really pleased that the prices haven’t been increased, but am not sure how much difference having a few one-hour bays at the edge of the town centre will make, but we’ll see. I hope it’s a sign that they are willing to engage and listen to feedback as there are other improvements needed.”
Conservative group leader at SADC, Cllr Matt Cowley, said: “The Lib Dems have damaged our High Street and our town with their ideological parking charges. Now, weeks out from the local elections, pressure from residents, businesses and our Conservative team have forced them to make this concession in a desperate attempt to hold their seats in Harpenden.
“Our Conservative team will continue to work to hold them to account – and keep fighting for a full restoration of free parking, so that people can go back to spending time and money with friends and families in Harpenden’s High Street.”
Martyn Reed of The Harpenden Society, expressed his concerns: “The Society and its members made clear that one hour of free parking should apply to all on-street spaces and that the parking process needs to be simplified. Introducing a two-tier system will almost certainly increase complexity, requiring additional parking codes and more signs.”
The Harpenden Society is urging SADC to reconsider its approach and instead focus on meaningful improvements:
- Extend the free parking period from 30 minutes to 60 minutes across ALL on-street spaces;
- Review the availability of parking meters and improve signage
- Address mobile phone coverage issues and work with network operators to resolve reception gaps.
The Lib Dem administration at SADC said charging to park in Harpenden was necessary to off-set the council’s on-street car parking services budget, which had been running at a deficit, and towards greater levels of parking enforcement.
