06 Jun 2025
Why won’t the leader of St Albans district council meet with the 50 aggrieved Harpenden businesses who signed a letter condemning the on-street parking charges?
The pressure continues despite a recently announced review of the scheme and the introduction of a single code for parking.
Elaine Bradford, who has been instrumental in leading a campaign against the charges, questioned whether Harpenden Town Council’s decision not to pursue a legal challenge has bolstered SADC’s resolve.
“The cost of parking is definitely driving away people and customers, and the hospitality businesses are noticing it the most with daytime trade being all but wiped out.
“I still have not had a response to my request for the revenues generated but it is my understanding that they are not making any money on this.
“It is a hard slog and I just don’t know why SADC are so stubborn. It’s very much ‘well provide the evidence it’s not working’. I would ask them, where is your evidence that it is?
“They won’t provide evidence of how much revenue is being received by the scheme, no doubt because I have heard it is not making any money!
“Helen Campbell says it is needed to balance the books, Paul de Kort says it’s about encouraging less car use, but at the same time, there are no public transport options, meaning cars are essential.
“To me and others it seems clear that it is, in fact, a money-making scheme that seems to be not making any money to the detriment of local businesses and residents who can no longer access the High Street.
“However, I note they have now introduced cash PayPoints at two locations in town, and that they have also listened with regards to the one code required, to include the free 30 minutes.
“Both of these, however, have not been widely disseminated pieces of information and as the signage has not changed people are still confused as to what to do. But I do have to say that we must give credit where credit is due and these were on our list of changes that need to happen.
“But we businesses also feel that it should return to the free hour with a second hour at a reduced cost to encourage people back to Harpenden.
“People don’t mind paying for parking, however £5 for two hours is too much and not comparable with other similar towns like Berkhamsted. We could then get a happy balance of people returning to Harpenden and both the businesses and the council making more money. Simple economics.”
SADC strategic director for community and place delivery Chris Traill said: “We have written to the letter’s author and pointed out that we do not provide private meetings of the sort she has suggested.
“We have informed her of the many channels we have in place for engagement with councillors and senior officers.
“We will, of course, take into consideration any factual evidence she has about how the new parking arrangements are working.”
Details on revenue generated by the charges are expected to be published at SADC’s September meeting of the public realm committee, when the scheme will have been in place for approximately six months.
