FAILURE to solve Watford's thorny traffic problems through the park and ride initiative was met with grave disappointment from Watford Council this week.

Watford's dream of congestion-free roads around the town centre was rendered a damp squib after Hertsmere Borough Council refused to include the Stephenson Way site in Bushey, in its local plan.

This move was, much to Watford Council's regret, supported by Hertfordshire County Council, which added that it would be another five years before the plan could be reviewed again for inclusion in the county's transport plan.

The theory behind the park and ride scheme should be applauded. There is a desperate need to reduce the number of cars crawling around the ring road in Watford and there is also a need to improve the way the buses are being utilised by visitors to the town centre.

However, bulldozing Stephenson Way in favour of a concrete carpet to host more than 500 vehicles is not the answer to this problem, particularly as the chosen site is nestled in Green Belt land.

The battle by Hertsmere Borough Council to save Stephenson Way echoes past memories of trying to halt the building of the M1 link way in Hertsmere's boundaries of the Green Belt.

Residents of Hertsmere have fiercely objected to the park and ride scheme because they are not prepared to sit back and allow the last piece of Green Belt land to be carved up for the benefit of shoppers going into Watford.

Fear of more traffic entering Bushey - with less affecting Watford - is another one of Hertsmere Borough Council's concerns.

An alternative site must be found quickly, which will satisfy everybody's needs.

Park and Ride is a prime example of 'not in my back yard', as each authority is quick to back the positive environmental aspects which will come from the scheme, but nobody wants to take the responsibility of hosting it in their district.

But someone has to take the responsibility for the scheme and, until then, Watford looks doomed to a future of growing congestion.