Council to review social distancing measures in Borehamwood

In May last year, Hertfordshire’s highways chiefs installed a range of measures to enable social distancing in towns and villages across the county, including one-way systems, reduced parking and wider walkways.

In some of the areas where the changes sparked complaints the temporary measures have already been removed, like in Radlett.

Hertfordshire County Council is now consulting with residents to see if there are some measures they would like to see stay.

See more: Social distancing measures scrapped in Radlett

When the ongoing consultation was reported to councillors on Tuesday (June 15), newly-elected Borehamwood Labour county councillor Richard Butler raised concerns about the scheme in Borehamwood town centre.

Cllr Butler told the panel that since restrictions had been eased for restaurants to serve food indoors, the area cordoned off as a seating area at one end of Shenley Road had been empty.

He said people had taken to removing a set of bollards that block off parking outside a row of restaurants and even suggested the bollards would not be strong enough to protect pedestrians from cars.

The bollards Cllr Butler refers to can be seen in the square from this traffic camera. Credit: Hertfordshire County Council

Cllr Butler said: "The public are taking it into their own hands and ripping those bollards out of the ground. They are being dumped in planters.

He added: "When members of the public are ripping these bollards up themselves and removing them,  I think the public now have already spoken."

Cllr Butler also pointed to disabled residents who needed access to the parking spaces – particularly those closest to the post office.

Cllr Richard Butler pictured earlier this year during his successful election campaign

At the meeting the council’s head of highways strategy and implementation Rupert Thacker said in light of the comments made by Cllr Butler, officers would go to Borehamwood town centre to review the situation.

The Borehamwood scheme is one of 15 schemes that were implemented in May 2020, to support two-metre social distancing in busier areas.

Parking spaces were blocked off in Shenley Road to allow for more pedestrian space. While some spaces have been reinstated, other areas continue to have barriers in place.