18 Jul 2024
Council bosses have revealed plans to charge motorists to park in previously free spaces across St Albans.
Consultation is now underway on proposals to replace the current arrangement with up to 20 minutes free (two free sessions per vehicle per day) and then charge £2.50 for one hour and £5 for up to two hours.
This would involve converting free limited waiting parking places to disabled persons parking places to at any time three-hour maximum stay no return in two hours in Victoria Street.
Existing free limited waiting parking spaces in Drovers Way, Victoria Street, Lattimore Road and London Road would become paid two-hour maximum stay, with no return within two hours, on Mondays to Saturdays between 8.30am and 6.30pm.
A mix of permit holders and paid two-hour parking would be introduced in Clarence Road and York Road between 8am-6pm Mondays to Saturdays, and between 8.30am-6pm in London Road over the same days.
SADC says the proposals are designed to make the car parking service fairer and more equitable by helping it to become self-sufficient financially.
Over the past four years, the service has made accumulated losses of around £1.5 million, an unsustainable deficit.
Extra revenue provided by the proposals is forecast to bring the overall parking budget close to a break-even figure.
This could mean the service will no longer need to be subsidised by money from other council budgets that could have been spent on other priorities.
Money from car parking services is kept in a ring-fenced budget, so any surplus could only be invested in parking, highways and environmental improvements
Another objective of the plans is to encourage active travel, such as cycling and walking, rather than car use.
Persons wishing to object or make comments to these proposals must do so by visiting stalbans.gov.uk/TROS where you can find all Active Traffic Regulation Orders – On Street (Highway). Please click proposals in consultation where you can add your comments, view or upload supporting documents. Or make representations in writing to: The Parking Development Team – St Albans City and District Council, Civic Centre, St Albans, AL1 3JE or by email to: parking.development@stalbans.gov.uk quoting map reference PPB/01 by August 15 2024.
The full consultation documents can be found here.
