The Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council Cabinet Planning and Parking Panel met on Thursday 18 September 2025 to discuss and approve recommendations for new parking restrictions in Howlands Ward, Welwyn Garden City, and Welham Green. The panel voted to recommend that the Cabinet proceed with the creation of traffic regulation orders as advertised for both locations, including waiting restrictions, verge and footway prohibitions, and resident permits in Welham Green. These recommendations will now go to the Cabinet for final approval.

Howlands Ward Parking Restrictions

The panel voted to recommend to Cabinet to proceed with the creation of traffic regulation orders as advertised for Howlands Ward, Welwyn Garden City. This includes the implementation of double yellow lines at junctions and a verge and footway parking prohibition.

The recommendations followed a parking survey sent to 1,279 addresses in the northern section of Howlands Ward. According to the Public Reports Pack, the survey, which sought residents' views on parking in the area, had a 39.6% response rate.

According to the Draft CPPP report - Howlands North, concerns raised by residents included damage to grass verges and obstruction of footways due to parking. The council formally proposed the restrictions on 12 March 2025.

During the meeting, the panel discussed the following points:

• Response Rates: A councillor clarified that the 43% positive responses referred to the percentage of responses received, not the total number of residents in the area.
• Duplicate Responses: The Assistant Director (Regeneration & Economic Development), Geoff Sampson, confirmed that 70 duplicate responses were removed from the final figures.
• Areas of Concern: A councillor asked if the data collected showed specific areas of concern, such as verge parking versus non-resident parking. Geoff Sampson clarified that residents could express concern about one or all items in the survey.
• Displacement of Parking: A councillor raised concerns about the potential displacement of cars to surrounding areas and whether this would lead to further parking restriction consultations. The Parking and Playground Services Manager, Eliska Robova, responded that a post-implementation review would be conducted, and the impact of parking restrictions would be monitored for six months. Geoff Sampson added that the risk of displacement was relatively low as the proposals focused on junction protection and verge/footway protection rather than resident permits.
• Disabled Residents: A councillor asked if disabled residents' ability to park up to three hours on a double yellow line had always been the case. Eliska Robova confirmed it was a nationwide scheme.
• Councillor Involvement: A councillor highlighted the significant involvement of a Councillor Weston in the consultation, particularly regarding the specifics for Sweet Briar, who fully endorsed the consultation.
• Verges and Crossovers: A councillor asked how confident officers were that there would not be an issue with parking restrictions on verges and crossovers¹. Geoff Sampson responded that engagement with residents and ward councillors had been positive, and modifications had been made to the proposals. However, a 100% guarantee could not be given, hence the six-month review period.
• Private Roads: A councillor asked what would happen if private roads came under new ownership. Eliska Robova responded that initial landlord consent had to be sought, but subsequent changes in ownership did not impact the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO).

Welham Green Parking Restrictions

The panel voted to recommend to Cabinet to proceed with the creation of traffic regulation orders as advertised for Welham Green. This includes the introduction of resident permits, waiting restrictions, and verge and footway prohibition in various roads.

The recommendations followed a parking survey sent to 219 properties in the Pooleys Lane area of Welham Green, which according to the Public Reports Pack had a 41.6% response rate. The council formally proposed the restrictions on 21 May 2025.

The proposed restrictions include:

• Resident Permit Parking Scheme: Zone F04 to operate Monday to Friday from 10am to 3pm, covering Frowick Close, Huggins Lane, Pooleys Lane, Puttocks Close and Puttocks Drive.
• Verge and Footway Prohibition Order (VFPO): Proposed in parts of Huggins Lane, Pooleys Lane, and Puttocks Drive. The majority of Frowick Close and Puttocks Close are not proposed for the VFPO due to the narrow carriageway width.
• No Waiting at Any Time Restrictions: Proposed in parts of Frowick Close, Huggins Lane, Pooleys Lane, Puttocks Close, and Puttocks Drive.

During the meeting, the panel discussed the following points:

• Community-Based Approach: A councillor commented on the community-based approach, involving all Ward Councillors and Councillor Therea Travell from North Mymms Parish Council, which included counselling, literature, and public newsletters to communicate with residents and gather feedback.
• Response Rates: A councillor noted that while the initial consultation had a 41.6% response rate, responses to the proposal were only 20.1%. They asked if officers had assumed that the non-respondents were happy with the proposal. Geoff Sampson responded that second responses tend to be lower, and a 21% response rate is still considered high. He added that strong opposition would typically result in a higher response rate.
• Industrial Estate Overspill: A councillor raised an objection regarding the overspill from the Industrial Estate and asked if officers had considered an alternative to dissuade or force those accessing the Industrial Estate from parking in the residential area, thus avoiding the extra cost for residents. Geoff Sampson responded that it was not logistically feasible to monitor all vehicles using the Industrial Estate.
• Consultation with Businesses: A councillor asked if businesses on the Industrial Estate had been consulted and if their opinion had been sought. Geoff Sampson responded that they were not directly consulted but had the opportunity to respond to the advertised consultation. Eliska Robova added that Parking Services visited three premises with Councillor Adrienne Nix to encourage more considerate parking. Adrienne Nix stated that she had driven there again that day and it was still chaotic, reinforcing the need for parking restrictions.
• Permit Parking in Travellers Lane: The Chair, Councillor Pankit Shah, invited a resident to speak, who informed the panel that there was a permit parking area in Travellers Lane for the Industrial Estate, but it was not being used, and people continued to park in the residential area.

Public Questions

The committee addressed two questions submitted by the public.

The first question concerned parking on vehicle crossovers in Heronswood Road and whether the council could guarantee that free parking bays outside numbers 224-232 would not become a 24/7 car park, increasing the risk to pedestrians and residents.

The council responded that the crossways are not considered parking areas and are included in the proposed verge and footway parking prohibition. The impact of the changes will be monitored, and remedial actions considered if necessary. The free parking bays were installed by Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) and are available to the general public without time limits. The council stated that implementing parking restrictions on them would not be beneficial at this time.

The second question asked what the parking committee was doing to solve parking problems around the Stanborough area, whether they had engaged with the local police and the County Council, and whether the committee felt it was right to deny residents the opportunity to ask certain questions.

The council responded that parking enforcement is subject to the powers conferred by the Traffic Management Act 2004 and associated legislation. They cannot enforce areas outside their remit, and certain parking offences, such as obstructive parking, can only be enforced by the Police. While residents' concerns have been passed on to the police, the council recognises their limited resources. Parking Services has arranged additional patrols in the area to tackle enforceable parking contraventions.