Parking rules have changed after a petition from local businesses hurt by chaotic arrangements.

Three Rivers District Council put its amendments to the Croxley Green Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) in place on Monday (January 29).

They mean that parking bays and yellow lines near Croxley Station and Watford Road will have a different layout and one-hour limited waiting parking bays will become up to four-hour short stay ‘pay-by-plate’ bays.

The council says this will give locals “greater flexibility when visiting the shops and local amenities”.

Councillor Paul Rainbow, who is responsible for transport in the district, said: “It is vital that local businesses and residents have excellent parking arrangements.

“I am delighted that the council has listened to the concerns raised and acted quickly to make parking easier and help keep the all-important churn in available parking spaces so that people can get in and out when they need to.

Watford Observer: Watford Road, Croxley Green.Watford Road, Croxley Green. (Image: Three Rivers District Council)

“I thank the petitioner and everyone who took part in the consultation for all their input in making these changes a reality.”

The proposals to allow one hour free parking and paid stays up to four hours, with no return within two hours, were approved following a ‘notice of proposals’.

The area outside 200 – 208 Watford Road, 186 – 190 Watford Road, and 7 – 13 Frankland Road will see restrictions change while parking rules for the side of 198 Watford Road, in Hazelwood Road, and the area opposite Ascot Court in Winton Drive, have also been reworked.

Watford Observer: The Red House, Watford Road, Croxley Green.The Red House, Watford Road, Croxley Green. (Image: Google Street View)

The petition from local businesses had followed changes to parking arrangements at the Red House pub, in Watford Road, and prompted council officers to review short-stay parking opportunities.

After the Red House announced its plans to introduce automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) last year, there were fears that potential customers would have nowhere to park when visiting shops around Croxley Station.

Business owners told the Watford Observer that their customers relied on using the pub to park because there was nowhere else reliably free. Meanwhile Greene King, which owns the Red House, said it was seeing “increasing numbers of people using the car parks, but not the pub”, leaving its own customers without a spot.