Future of village parking to be decided tonight

NEARLY 400 residents have signed a petition to change parking at a row of shops in a village.

Restricted zones in Dellsome Lane, Welham Green, currently allow parking for up to 40 minutes from 10am to noon Monday to Saturday.

Now 17 businesses have united in a bid to abolish what they call “inadequate parking and unfair restrictions” just on Saturdays.

The firms will request the lifting of restricted parking, as they believe it is “detrimental to the successful trading” of their companies, at a meeting of Welwyn Hatfield Council’s cabinet housing and planning panel meeting tonight (Thursday).

The group, which is providing a petition with 394 signatures to the committee, is also looking for parking places to be supplied to shop owners, their staff and also residents of the flats above.

A spokesman for the Dellsome Parade shopkeepers and businesses said: “We are trying to attract customers, not drive them away.

“We are a small parade of shops and businesses who are working hard to provide good service to the local community. Please enable us to continue this.”

Ward councillor Keith Pieri, who is backing the campaign, added: “The restrictions were originally placed to stop commuters from parking and the 40-minute restriction works with that.

“If we removed all restrictions, commuters would be back in no time, so it is one step at a time.

He added: “The last thing residents above the shops want to do is to move their cars first thing on a Saturday morning like they have to currently if they park there.”

The meeting takes place at 7.30pm at the council chamber at Campus West, in WGC.