Free parking in a village high street may not be coming to an end as the latest plans suggest keeping some free spots after a backlash.

Proposals to update Dacorum’s parking rules would have seen Kings Langley’s 53 High Street limited waiting bays go from being free for one hour (no return within two hours) to £2 an hour for a maximum of two hours (no return within two hours).

However, a document on the agenda for tonight’s (February 7) Dacorum Borough Council meeting says that, following those plans being published, local businesses, residents, and opposition members had got in touch to express concerns.

Based on this, a further review then produced “a final set of changes to present back to this committee and cabinet”. For Kings Langley High Street, it means that only the middle of the road would be for paid parking (between Langley Hill and Vicarage Lane).

This amounts to a total of 28 bays where a 30-minute park will cost 80p and an hour will cost £1.50, with 25 bays with 30 minutes free parking either side. A pay by phone app would be used and there would still be no return within two hours.

Four of the free bays are between Vicarage Lane and Common Lane while 21 are between the Rose and Crown and Langley Hill.

Parking charges would apply from 8am to 6pm every day.

Watford Observer: Map attached to the Dacorum Borough Council agenda item for today (February 7).Map attached to the Dacorum Borough Council agenda item for today (February 7). (Image: Dacorum Borough Council)

Kings Langley’s off-street parking, in The Nap and Langley Hill, is set to remain free but be limited to four hours between 8am and 6pm.

After going to the Finance and Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee tonight, the proposals will go to cabinet on February 13. A more formal public consultation is then expected.

The proposals for Kings Langley are part of wider-ranging changes for parking across Dacorum, with arrangements in Tring, Berkhamsted, Hemel Hempstead, and Apsley also seeing recent updates.

Overall, the December plan was predicted to raise an extra £660,000 a year for the borough council, while the updated plan is only expected to deliver £460,000.