Woodmere Avenue width restriction changes 'a waste of money'

Hertfordshire County Council agreed a temporary change to the layout of bollards in Woodmere Avenue earlier this year in a bid to stop accidents.

Work has now been completed, but Ricky Lees, of St Albans Road, Watford, has driven through since then and does not believe the changes will make a difference.

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He said: “As a driver I have driven down there many times.

“To me, the width is still the same, but all they have gone and done is changed the posts.

“The small yellow ones will not solve the problem, it will not be good enough.

“I think it’s a waste of money.”

Mr Lees, 59, added: “Only time will tell. We will wait and see.”

Left Woodmere Avenue width restriction before and right, after the changes. Pictures: Stephen Cavinder

The new design is expected to be a temporary measure in the hope that ANPR cameras will eventually be introduced.

However, a consultation will need to be held for this long-term approach to be approved.

Temporary measures include upgrading the kerb and moving posts further back. One pair has also been removed.

The width restriction achieved notoriety after doorbell camera footage captured several cars, including police vehicles, hitting the bollards.

Footage of the crashes went viral, and a dedicated Facebook page was set up.

Over the years, the width restriction has divided opinion.

The crashes have been caught on a person's doorbell camera

Some people have blamed the crashes on the drivers, while others have blamed the design.

A Hertfordshire County Council spokesperson said: “We know that the current situation is not ideal, and we have been engaging with residents, councillors and the local MP to discuss alternatives to the existing bollards.

“The recent alterations have seen the kerbs upgraded and the bollards set back six inches from the kerb. One of the three sets of bollards has also been removed entirely.

“We hope these measures will help address local residents’ concerns while we develop and consult on a longer-term option to replace the physical width restriction with a camera-enforced weight restriction.”

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