Residents frustrated by parking permit changes

Whitebeams neighbours have campaigned for many years to get 24-hour parking permits down their road as they have many elderly and disabled residents living there.

The small cul-de-sac, has 14 houses and is part of an Independent Living Scheme. According to residents, the council agreed to restrictions on Mondays to Sundays between 7am and 9pm.

The signs have gone up and residents have been waiting for objections, only for the timings to be changed without warning.

One resident, Annette Hughes said: “I had emailed to find out when it would start and looked on the council web page to find there had been objections to the parking permit from people that do not live on the road or even in the county! These were taken into consideration by the council.

“The residents have just found out that the restrictions are changing without consulting us to 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday! Which is useless as most of the residents are not there during these times.”

The small dead-end road is part of an 'Independent Living Scheme' and has fourteen houses and according to residents, the council agreed to Monday to Sunday 7am to 9pm. The signs had gone up and the residents waited for objections. (Image: Annette Hughes)

The campaigners explained to the council that weekends and evenings are the problem, and they don't have any issue with students from the university.

Annette added: “We feel that the council has let the elderly residents down and that they do not care. There is to be no more consultation about this with us.

“We have elderly and disabled that cannot park too far from their houses, but the council are telling us we can park in another road.”

A spokesperson for Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council said: “The parking permit zone for Whitebeams residents was originally proposed for Monday to Sunday 7am to 9pm. This was not approved, and, during the consultation, we received many formal objections to the excessive operational days and hours.

“The message from the objectors was very clear in that they did not want a seven-day-a-week permit zone operating late into the day.

“In order to proceed with the majority of residents' wishes from across the consultation area, the cross-party panel agreed with the recommendation to bring forward the permit zone to operate Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.

“Once the parking restrictions have come into force, three months after introduction, there will be a review feedback stage where all residents from across the consultation area are welcome to submit feedback. The feedback will then be considered six-to-eight months after the permits are introduced to see if any further changes need to be made.

“We would only make any further changes with additional consultation and with a majority of respondents from all roads in consultation in favour, and then having to bear in mind objections.

“As part of the statutory consultation regulations, an objector can reside anywhere and must be considered along with all other objections. We received no objections from people in Manchester or Reading. As shown in the committee report, there were two objections from people outside of Hertfordshire, namely one from Birmingham and one from Yorkshire. All other objectors were from Hatfield, most being inside the consultation area.

“It is the case, once taking objections and the original survey results into account, that the majority who responded wanted five days a week with daytime only. The seven days a week, 14 hours a day was less supported.

“The parking restriction times apply for permit zones; the double yellow lines and verge and footway prohibition will of course still apply 24/7 to ensure junction protection and pedestrian safety.

Annette added: “We are not giving up getting 24-hour parking restrictions for the elderly residents of a small road in Hatfield.

“We are at least hoping it will change to the original 7am to 9pm.”