Dacorum Car Parking has been Verging on the Ridiculous!

Hardpressed householders in Dacorum are being driven to distraction in their efforts to find suitable safe parking. 10 years ago or more, Liberal Democrat-run Three Rivers Council embarked on a programme of converting suitable verges in South Oxhey to provide additional residents parking. It worked very well.

Now Dacorum Council is starting to follow their example with a scheme being launched in 2011. In July 2011 Liberal Democrat Borough Councillor Nick Hollinghurst put forward 18 sites in Tring for consideration across the town.

These were: (1) Rosebery Way, improvements near nos. 48 - 60; (2) Elm Tree Walk, hardstanding on part of the green for 8 cars; (3) Elm Tree Walk, space on verge near no. 23 for parking for 2 cars; (4) Kingsley Walk, extend parking area near nos. 9 & 11 to give one extra parking space; (5) Eight Acres, convert part of amenity green near nos. 1 - 26 to hardstanding to give 6 spaces; (6) Sutton Close, extend existing parking bay near no. 18 to create 3 more parking spaces; (7) Sutton Close, extend existing parking bay near nos. 1 - 8 to create 6 more parking spaces; (8) Wingrave Road, create hardstanding in verge between no. 8 and Elizabeth Close to create 4 parking spaces beside hedge; (9) Wingrave Road, create hardstanding in verge between Sutton Close and Elizabeth Close to create 2 parking spaces beside hedge; (10) Grove Road, protect verge in vicinity of Scout Hall near Grove Gardens along bend with limited visisblity using double kerbs; (11) Longbridge Close, extend existing parking bay near no. 12 to create 1 more parking space; (12) Longbridge Close, extend existing parking bay near nos. 40 - 48 to create 2more parking spaces; (13) Gamnel, convert part of amenity green near nos. 31 - 24 to hardstanding to give 6 spaces; (14) Western Road, convert part of verge near nos. 93 & 95 to hardstanding to give 3 spaces; (15) Western Road, convert part of verge near no. 81 to hardstanding to give 2 spaces; (16) Park Road, cut into bank and convert verge on south side to car parking from opposite Louisa Cottages to no. 27 to give 22 - 30 spaces; (17) Hastoe Lane near Park Road, cut into bank and convert verge on west side to extend existing car parking to give spac for 4 more cars plus one coach; (18) Clarke's Spring/Station Road, a study leading to a rationalisation of parking restrictions and accesss to properties around the station area.

Eventually over 150 suggestions were submitted by councillors covering all areas of the Borough and these were then assessed and screened for need, practicality and cost by DBC officers and members of the police and emergency services. Many were rejected but also many other suggestions continued to be submitted. In fact the scheme turned out to be both more expensive and more complex than initially expected - but it is now finally underway and projects are being delivered.

Cllr Nick Hollinghurst said, "Although parts of Hemel Hempstead were planned with generous amounts of space, the areas where there is parking stress tend to be either the original historic settlements or those areas of Hemel Hempstead built pre-war and so before the time of the New Towns expansion. It can be very difficult to make improvements in those areas.

However, I'm very pleased to say that of the 104 surviving suggestions 8 involve Tring. Four of those are on the medium list to be done over the next two years and in fact two of those - Elm Tree Walk and Gamnel - are on the short list of 12 and consultation with residents should start soon with construction this financial year."

"In the case of several of the other suggestions I am having plans drawn up by the County Council for improvements which could be financed through my Highways Locality Budget."

"All in all we should see some improvements of the worst situations over the next two years. But, as we all know, major improvement will only result from us all using our cars a little bit less and this in turn will not happen to any great extent until we have better, easily accessible, more frequent and affordable public transport. So yes, I will continue to press for repairs to roads, for improvements to parking, safety and traffic movement but I will also be campaigning for better buses, trains and cycleways."