Residents have voted in favour of keeping a high street closed to vehicles for the foreseeable future - but a final decision is still to be made.

After the pandemic struck in 2020, Hertfordshire County Council decided changes were needed in Rickmansworth town centre to make social distancing easier.

As a result, the town's high street has been shut to drivers between the junction of Northway to the junction of Station Road at certain times during the day.

It is shut between 10am and 6pm on weekdays and from 10am on Saturdays to 6am on Mondays.

Earlier this year, the council ran surveys across Hertfordshire to see whether residents and businesses wanted to keep the social distancing measures that had been introduced in their respective towns.

In Rickmansworth, 493 people responded to a survey and 68 per cent supported trialling the closure of the high street for another 18 month period.

This is on top of a temporary traffic regulation order which the council has secured which will keep the high street in Rickmansworth closed until April 2022.

Responses to the survey published on the council website reveal people thought road safety had "improved" and the closure had helped improve the "attractiveness" of the town centre. Another said the removal of parking near Cafe Nero had made sitting outside "more pleasant".

Others were less keen on a trial. One person said the closure of the high street is a "disgrace" because they say it has a "terrible impact" on shops and hinders elderly and disabled people who need to park in bays.

In the survey, 76 per cent of respondents said the closure had made social distancing "easier" while 69 per cent believed it has had a "positive impact" on the high street.

The majority of respondents were residents with 3 per cent businesses and 4 per cent visitors.

Watford Observer: A sign showing the existing closure times in Rickmansworth high street. Credit: Phil SoskinA sign showing the existing closure times in Rickmansworth high street. Credit: Phil Soskin

The council has described the survey for Rickmansworth town centre as part of its High Street Recovery campaign as an "informal engagement exercise".

Officers from the county council and Three Rivers District Council are considering feedback from the survey along with a more recent survey undertaken by the district council before making a final decision.

A decision on whether to implement an 18 month trial is expected to be made by the end of the year.

If a new trial period is agreed, there will be a public consultation.