17 Mar 2026
Time is running out to have your say on proposed changes to Harpenden parking restrictions.
SADC Liberal Democrats have suggested creating approximately 40 one-hour free on-street parking bays in Arden Grove, Southdown Road, Thompsons Close and Victoria Road in response to controversy over the introduction of on-street parking charges in the town.
That is approximately 16 per cent of the 243 bays in operation across the town centre.
They say the aim is to encourage motorists to park in less frequently used bays, thereby increasing turnover of the more central spaces and improving overall availability.
Parking prices across the town would also be frozen for the next financial year.
A public consultation on the proposal comes to an end this Thursday, March 19.
The fees 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.
Local businesswoman Elaine Bradford responded to the current consultation: “It is vitally important that we let St Albans district council know our objections to this proposal.
“I stand very much with Harpenden Town Council’s proposal of one hour free parking for all of the 243 bays in central Harpenden, with a second hour being charged at a lower rate of around £1-£1.50 per hour. This proposal in its current form does not meet the objectives of the council’s own parking strategy.
“I quote: ‘The council aims to deliver an efficient service that provides fair, easy, and safe parking across St Albans. Our responsibilities include on-street parking provision, car parks, civil parking enforcement, residential parking, and managing parking demand. This strategy is designed to help shape, manage, and deliver the council’s vision for parking, and set out how we manage kerbside space and off-street car parks. The aim is to reduce the impact of parking on the environment, while continuing to provide essential parking space to support our local businesses, residents, and visitors.’
“This is clearly not the case, it is neither fair or easy and with 130,000 paid parking sessions in an 11-month period equating to just, on average, two parking sessions per day per bay in Harpenden, clearly the needs of local businesses, residents or visitors are not being met.
“ We have been demonstrating consistently over the last 13 months that this is not meeting anyone’s needs except the council’s coffers.
“The council’s own figures show that at a rate of more than £1,000 per day, they have made over £100,000 more than budgeted to January 2026.
“ We need to make it clear to the council that this is not acceptable and that a return to the one hour free parking for all 243 bays would be of maximum benefit to support not only our local businesses but our residents and visitors in line with their own parking strategy.”
Residents can lodge their objections to the proposals by emailing parking.consultations@stalbans.gov.uk, or online via https://consultation.appyway.com/st-albans and selecting THE ST ALBANS CITY AND DISTRICT COUNCIL (CONTROL OF PARKING) ORDER 2023 (AMENDMENT No.**) PAID PARKING PLACES ORDER 202*.
