Parking is once again the hot topic.

The first ‘consultation’ period is now over and it looks as though the whole process will be repeated.

Our representatives forgot that the motor car exists. I suspect that as usual, someone had a bright idea and in best political fashion, appointed consultants to bring in recommendations. The consultants get a lot of money to tailor existing proposals to fit (poorly!) into whatever the Council asks.

Hemel has a problem, but adequate parking, so just tinker by increasing charges to reduce demand and where houses are near to the Town Centre, then limit parking a little by having a small area of residents parking near to the town centre (which is mainly pedestrianised anyway).

Kings Langley is deemed not to have a problem and it would be difficult to improve matters in Tring.

Berkhamsted has a problem. We know it has a problem, but the ‘consultants’ can’t be bothered to find the cause (apart from too many cars wanting to park in the Town!), so the solution is to restrict parking.

No thoughts on just where the displaced vehicles will go or what effect the ‘solution’ will have on the towns businesses. This is the problem in trying to impose 21st century solutions on a 16th century town centre.

They just couldn’t see that only major (expensive and even more unpopular!) highway and social changes will ‘solve’ the ‘problem.

For example:
Just moving the station away from the town centre is one possible option.
Close the High Street to through traffic.
Turn the narrow residential streets into one-way and only allow parking where wide enough.
Provide free public transport.

I could go on, but I bet you have even better ideas, on the other hand, we could just enforce the existing regulations!

Anyway, the long and short of it all is that the public reaction has caused a re-think of the idea and we can all look forward to even better ideas being presented after Christmas - then we have an election and the ‘Waitrose Saga’ will start all over again. They never learn, do they?