St Albans City and District Council is to transfer ownership of East Lane car park and adjoining land to Wheathampstead Parish Council, subject to an agreed contract.
The Parish Council is considering extending the car park onto the adjoining land to provide more space for visitors to the village. The Parish Council already leases the car park from the Council.
A request by the Parish Council to transfer these assets and open space to the south side of East Lane was approved by Cabinet on 19 July.
The District Council is currently encouraging Town and Parish Councils to take on ownership of local assets as part of a strategy to put localism into practice. This follows the implementation of the Localism Act by the Government last year. The act aims to let communities have greater control over public assets in their area and to take on additional responsibilities for the management of local services.
Councillor Beric Read, Portfolio Holder for Community Engagement and Localism at St Albans City and District Council, said: “The Council has received a number of approaches from Town and Parish Councils to transfer assets. We have already transferred ownership of Batford Springs nature reserve, Lyddekker Park and carpark, Porters Hill Recreation Ground and Westfield Recreation Ground to Harpenden Town Council. We are currently talking to St Stephen, Sandridge and London Colney Parish Councils about the transfer of further assets.”
Councillor David Johnston, Chair of Wheathampstead Parish Council, said: “We are delighted that the District Council has agreed to transfer the car park and adjacent land to us for expansion. Our High Street’s survival depends heavily on us being able to attract people into the village and without suitable car parking this would be impossible.
“The transfer has lots of benefits for our community. Our Heritage Trail is attracting visitors and we anticipate Heartwood Forest will have a similar effect in the coming years. We are also getting an increasing number of walkers who take advantage of the beautiful countryside. We will now be able to increase parking capacity as demand to visit our village grows.
“By having a vibrant High Street and easy parking we will be able to encourage residents in rural areas to come to the village rather than travelling further afield for their shopping. A recent survey of the car park also shows that it is used by some residents for an informal Park-and-Ride to catch a bus to St Albans and beyond.”
A
webcast of the Cabinet meeting on 19 July can be watched online on the Council’s website.
The
agenda for the meeting is available on the Council’s website.
Councillor contact:
Cllr Beric Read, Community Engagement and Localism Portfolio Holder
St Albans City and District Council
Mob tel: 07956 220264
Contact for the media:
Amanda Wilkinson,
Media and Internal Communications Officer
St Albans City and District Council
Tel: 01727 819317
E-mail: amanda.wilkinson@stalbans.gov.uk
www.stalbans.gov.uk
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