RESIDENTS turned out in force for a meeting to discuss plans to introduce parking permits into their neighbourhood.

More than 90 homeowners, councillors and businessmen attended a meeting at Hatfield Hyde Cricket Club in Beehive Lane, WGC, to discuss the plans by Welwyn Hatfield Council to put parking restrictions into the area.

The council is considering introducing residential parking permits into the neighbourhood, as well as installing �60,000-worth of pay and display ticket machines in the free car park at King George V Playing Fields.

But residents claim the problem is being invented by the council as a way of squeezing more cash out of motorists.

At the meeting, attended by ward councillors Alan Chesterman and David Hughes, residents signed petitions and argued against the plans.

One resident, Michelle Inder, said: “Residents in the Beehive area have seen through the council’s smokescreen of excuses, as just another means to extract additional revenue.

“Residents can’t see why they should be subsidising the rest of WGC and beyond for the privileges of having a hospital in the area, whose services are been systematically transferred to the Lister in Stevenage. The council are trying to railroad us into having permits to suit their own end and have decided to give us a parking permit scheme whether we want one or not.”

But council leader John Dean said he was “baffled” by the meeting, saying the council had already taken account of residents’ opposition.

“As far as I’m concerned, the recommendation being made to cabinet is there will be no parking restrictions in the area,” Cllr Dean said. “We’ve taken notice of what the residents have said.”