Workers unable to park their cars near their offices have said it is “wrong” a local garage should take up all the spaces on the street.

However Ian Goodman, who owns Goodmans Autos, says his rental cars and vans are parked on Manor Way legally and the council has no power to force him to move them. 

Rosalie Brown, who started working in Delta Court in Manor Way last June, said parking for herself, her 20 colleagues and other local businesses, is “a nightmare”.

She said: “Goodmans Autos vans and cars take up between 30 and 40 places in Manor Way and we think it is totally unfair for them to use all these spaces.

“We often spend 15 or 20 minutes driving round looking for a space. Today I had to park in Kenilworth Drive and walk, which is hard for me because I am in excruciating pain from a bad leg.”

She said some of the Goodmans cars had been parked badly, with large gaps between vehicles, meaning there was no room for other cars.

Ms Brown added: “It seems wrong that a commercial company is able to use street parking to the detriment of employees of many local companies who give our custom to the local shops and cafes.

“I don’t begrudge Mr Goodman his business, but there must be something that can be done.”

Workers have been forced to park in Durham Road and Armstrong Close, which means residents are suffering from lack of parking spaces.

Roger Phillips, who lives off Manor Way, said the problem has been going on for the past five years.

He said: “Because Goodmans vehicles take up the entire road, people working at the offices park outside my house, meaning there is nowhere for my visitors to put their cars.

“I have complained repeatedly to the council but nothing has been done about it. It should be able to change the bylaws so this does not happen.”

John Byrne, who suffers from cancer, said: “Because of the way people are parked, I have had times when I need to be rushed to hospital and the ambulance cannot get through.

“It’s very frustrating for us and it’ll only get worse as more people move to Borehamwood and there is no parking for them.”

Councillor Alan Plancey, who represents Borehamwood South for Hertfordshire County Council, has received hundreds of complaints from residents and workers.

He said: “It is unfair and inconsiderate of Goodmans to take up all these spaces. However the firm is doing nothing illegal.”

A spokesman for Hertfordshire County Council said it was considering extending double yellow lines in some parts of Durham Road and Armstrong Close to control parking and improve visibility.

However as the cars in the Goodmans fleet were “parked legally and taxed, insured and appear to comply with the law in other respects” it was unable to force Goodman’s Autos to remove the vehicles.

Mr Goodman said his fleet of 67 cars, given free of charge to anyone whose car is being repaired by his company, was doing a service to Borehamwood and he was being unfairly victimised.

He said: “I work seven days a week to keep people on the roads. I even worked on my wedding day. I’ve been here 25 years and the problems only started when the new businesses in Manor Way were built without sufficient parking.

“The council has threatened me with court action, I’ve had every councillor complaining at me, but there’s nothing they can do. Don’t these people have anything better to do than make silly complaints?

“I make sure my cars are parked like clockwork. It would be lovely if the council could provide me with a piece of land I could rent to park my cars on to get them off the road, but it won’t.”