PARKING restrictions could be introduced into a busy area of WGC, which has a parade of shops, two places of worship, a scout hut, a car dealership and a doctors’ surgery.

If funding is approved, waiting time limits would be brought in around the area of Hall Grove and Moorlands, after a petition signed by 72 residents to address the issue of inappropriate and inconsiderate parking was successful.

The petition and residents’ concerns were put in front of Welwyn Hatfield’s highways joint members’ panel on Thursday.

Councillors gave the go-ahead for the district manager to commission design rescources to start informal consultation.

Grumbles from residents included vehicles parking on the junction of the two roads, as well as cars parked with all four wheels on the footpath.

The move is part of another scheme which will also see 15 metres of double yellow lines painted where Autumn Grove joins Hall Grove.

However, Lib Dem councillor Malcolm Cowan said the issue would not go away if additional parking wasn’t introduced.

After the meeting, an Autumn Grove resident told the WHT: “We still need more parking spaces as whenever there is a major religious event on you can barely get around for all the cars and they are parking on both sides of the narrow roads.

“I would hate to think what would happen if emergency services needed access on these occasions.

“Currently it’s a nightmare pulling out on to Hall Grove, with the cars parked on the corner blocking the view of oncoming traffic.”

The resident added: “I feel like I am putting my life on the line as I creep out from Autumn Grove every morning, so anything to make this better would be brilliant.”