Parking charges could be introduced at a shopping street car park - but the chairman of a residents association says he is ready to fight the plans until the very end.
Members of Hertsmere Borough Council’s Executive approved recommendations for pay and display at Kemp Place in Bushey and the High Street in Bushey.
Bushey Heath Cllr Seamus Quilty claims the parking situation has become “contentious” in the area.
Speaking at the Executive meeting on Wednesday night, Cllr Quilty said: “People are always asking me about parking. Kemp Place is virtually full every day but the perception from shopkeepers is they are commuters.
“They want a turnover of trade. Pay and display works in Bushey Heath.”
The council says it has received a “significant” number of complaints about parking at Kemp Place which has 123 spaces.
A study by industry experts Mott McDonald found 22 per cent of cars were parked in Kemp Place on a Tuesday in April 2018 for the whole day. Surveys were carried out on Tuesdays and Saturdays throughout the month.
One of the recommendations was to create 10 new parking bays in Kemp Place but this was altered to “up to 10” after Cllr Pervez Choudhury raised safety concerns.
When plans to convert Ivy House, at the junction of High Street and Kemp Place, were revealed, chairman of Kemp Place Residents Association Murray Lee described the junction as “dangerous”.
Examples of vehicles parking on double yellow lines in Kemp Place
After hearing of the council’s latest plans for Kemp Place car park, Mr Lee said: “I’m seriously worried about this. The knock-on effect will be horrendous. This will encourage people to park further into Kemp Place.
“Cars already park on double yellow lines. It’s dangerous and a nightmare. At weekends especially, parking is horrendous. We have to call 101 regularly.”
Bushey High Street is the only main shopping street in Hertsmere to have no pay and display meters – introducing parking charges would be consistent with the rest of the borough.
High street parking in Bushey is currently limited to 30 minutes and the council says enforcement is “hard”.
Businesses will be entitled to apply for a business permit to park in the High Street and Kemp Place, if the measures are introduced. This is a measure already adopted across the borough.
A public consultation will be held before any changes are made.
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