THE controversial controlled parking zone (CPZ) scheme in St Albans celebrated its first anniversary with positive feedback in a council survey this week, based on a sample of only 25 residents and 33 businesses.

The survey's results were reported to St Albans District Council's CPZ implementation working party on Monday. It failed to interview any shoppers or tourists, concentrating instead on people who had previously contacted the council about the scheme.

The report said there was 'a high degree of satisfaction with the scheme amongst residents, even in the extension areas and even amongst those who had previously opposed the scheme'.

Of 33 businesses interviewed, the report said only two felt the scheme should be scrapped and said: 'The larger companies do not seem to be suggesting that the scheme has affected their profitability as yet but are concerned about the difficulty that they are having in attracting junior staff in this area of high employment.'

Working party vice-chairman John Wright said: 'If you stop people in the street, you don't necessarily get a good cross-section of the people most affected by the scheme.'