THE final decision over controversial plans to introduce pay and display parking in Bushey will not be made until March.

Hertsmere Borough Council is assessing the merits of the proposal to introduce charges for parking in the three public car parks in Bushey and Bushey Heath, as well as on the main road by the shops in the two areas.

A final judgement on the plan was due to be made at the meeting of the council's executive in February. However, Councillor Spencer Pitfield, portfolio holder for planning and transportation, is currently on paternity leave and now the final decision will be made on Wednesday, March 14.

Richard Grove, head of planning at the council, discussed the matter with residents at a meeting of the Bushey Forum on Tuesday night and admitted that councillors had not made up their minds whether to recommend or reject the scheme.

He said: "The council's approach has always been a local approach and what we are trying to do is to find schemes that address the needs of each locality.

"We certainly want to try and protect the vitality of our local shopping centres because they are very important to us."

The council has received a stream of objections from local shopkeepers, worried the changes would drive customers away from the area, as well as from residents, concerned that charges will displace vehicles from the car parks into already heavily congested side roads.

However, one problem that seems to have united residents and the council is the need to address the problem of local businesses using the St Peter's car park, opposite the church on the High Road.

Mr Grove said: "The council has already recognised that there is an issue of commercial businesses using our car parks and we are looking at ways to tackle that particular problem.

"However, what we do in one place can have a knock on effect in another and we are aware of that."

Mr Grove added that the council was not ruling out the possibility of parking charges being applied to one car park and not the other two. If the initiative is introduced it would bring Bushey into line with other towns in the borough that have parking charges.

In Borehamwood, parking in the council-owned car parks costs 40p for the first hour, with charges increasing to £7.50 for seven hours and above, while in Radlett, Aldenham Parish Council pay the borough council £10,000 a year so residents can park for free for one hour.

Under the proposal, Bushey would also receive a second parking attendant, as currently there is only one full time attendant covering the whole area.