Councillors in London Colney have launched a petition against the planned introduction of parking charges in the village.

Earlier this month St Albans City and District Council (SADC) launched a consultation over proposals to introduce charges at some currently free parking bays across the district.

While much of the backlash has come from residents in Harpenden, a petition has now been launched in London Colney over the planned charges at the Haseldine Road car park.

Labour councillors Mike Hobday and Emma Turnbull have started the petition, claiming that the charges will have a negative impact on residents and businesses in the village.

Cllr Hobday said that the changes would "damage the infrastructure of London Colney".

He said: "The car park has been there forever, it was part of the original development of London Colney. Everything that has been built since has been under the assumption that there is a free car park in centre of the village.

"If the council want to bring in parking charges , people will just park on residential roads instead. Nobody is going to want to willingly pay for parking space."

This, he says, will cause "chaos" in the area as well as negatively impacting local businesses who rely on footfall.

Cllr Hobday also pointed to the church and two mosques that are near to the car park, noting that when the mosques were built it was under the assumption there would be free parking nearby.

Cllr Hobday was elected as the council member for London Colney in May's local elections and says he feels a duty to "stand up for the really strong views people in the area have on this issue."

He added his name to the list of critics who believe the plans are a 'cash grab', saying: "This is an astonishing idea and a gratuitous attempt to raise money."

He called on council leader Paul de Kort to withdraw the "deeply problematic" proposals, and invited him to London Colney to see the impact the implementation of parking fees would have on the village.

SADC have declined to comment on the petitions while the consultation is ongoing, encouraging residents to have their say via the official channels.

The consultation launched on July 18 and will run until August 14.