High Street parking fears as Bovingdon hall to clamp down

Bovingdon Parish Council will install signs at Memorial Hall over the next few weeks, after which it will be enforcing restrictions meaning only those booking or using the hall itself can park there.

It is currently used by High Street shoppers and parents on the school run at busy times, without permission, when businesses say finding a free space can be chaos.

• Plans to reduce free Kings Langley parking sparks 4,000 objections
• Care facility to be built at former school site as objection removed
• Striking photos of moment lorry veered off bridge in 1960s

In a statement this morning, a council spokesperson said: “Due to the parking problems we experience every day at the Memorial Hall, the parish council have decided to introduce parking restrictions in an effort to try and alleviate some of these issues.

“The parking outside the Memorial Hall is only for people who are using/hiring the hall, but due to unauthorised parking our hall users are experiencing more and more problems when they are using the hall.

“The parish council have agreed that disabled badge holders will be able to park for up to three hours, as long as they are displaying a valid blue badge.”

Mr Choudhary, from Zeera Indian & Bangladeshi Restaurant, said: “It's going to be very difficult and it's going to affect us quite badly.

“We already have residents parking in our car park and we have a very limited amount of space at the back. We’re going to have a very big issue.”

Peter, from W Jarman & Sons further up the road, was not sure whether his customers currently use the memorial car park but thought the change could exacerbate demand for on-street spots.

“To tell you the truth Bovingdon is already really hard to park anywhere, it causes struggles for my business,” he added. "It's going to be a problem, I think."

W Jarman and Sons/Zeera Indian and Bangladeshi Restaurant. (Image: Google Street View)

Jack Ingles, from Chiltern Piano Gallery, agreed that it is often hard to find a space, particularly around the school run, which he said was because there are not many parking restrictions generally in the village.

"Parking is a huge issue," the business owner said. "I find it unusual because - at Memorial Hall - most of the time there are spaces empty."

Other businesses were not so concerned. 

Staff at The Bell Inn are aware of how much of a problem parking in Bovingdon is but most punters apparently walk, and it has its own car park. At Bovingdon Dry Cleaners, customers tend not to struggle so much as they are not usually coming in at the peak times.