Frequently Asked Questions

What does a single yellow line do?

A single yellow line places a time-limited no-waiting restriction on road. It applies to ALL drivers and cannot have a permit issued to park on it. Time specific restrictions can last for as little as thirty minutes all the way up to twenty three hours. Only emergency service and other specifically exempt vehicles may wait on the line during the specified no waiting hours. After the specified time restriction passes, any vehicle can park on the line without risking a fine. A dispensation for exceptional reasons can be issued in the short term to allow parking if safety is not compromised. www.welhat.gov.uk/parking-exemptions-and-dispensations

We cannot issue permits to park on a yellow line. 

What does a double yellow line do?

Its much like a single yellow just that it applies at all times 24/7. Double Yellows are often placed on the highway to ensure clear access and safety and most often seen near junctions. 

What is a Verge and Footway Prohibition Order?

A VFPO is an order which protects grass verges, footways and pavements. Areas under a VFPO permit the issuing of penalty charge notices against vehicles found in contravention. The council introduces VFPOs to tackle nuisance and obstructive parking on green areas, grass verges, footways and pavements. A yellow sign stating "at any time on verge or footway" would be installed within the road/location if it is subject to a VFPO. Vehicle crossovers that sit within the boundary of the public highway is also included within a VFPO as a crossover is granted by County Council to allow access onto private property and is not provided to be parked upon.

What is a resident permit scheme?

Resident permit schemes within the Borough are created by the Council under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. Resident permit schemes can assist residents who find it difficult to park within a reasonable distance of their homes, which could be caused by other factors such as other parking demands such as close to universities, town centres, or railway stations. Only residents whose property is within the boundary of a resident permit scheme can be eligible for a permit for that zone. A valid blue badge can be displayed on a vehicle in a resident permit zone irrespective of needing a resident permit. 

What is a permit area?

Resident permit schemes are created into zones. Zones can vary in size, and operate dependent on the majority response received from residents and other affected parties. The signage displayed within the zones (and for most zones on the entry plates at the start of the zone) contains the zone identity to indicate which zone's permits can be used there.

Resident Permit Scheme information

Resident Permits

·         Residents who park their vehicle on a drive or in a garage on private property do not need to purchase a permit if it is not planned to be on the highway during restricted hours.

·         Residents who are Blue Badge Holders and own or drive a vehicle will receive a 100% discount for the first permit in the household. Any additional permits to that address will be charged at the second permit rate and so forth. Blue badge discount applies only upon application and renewal and we do not apply the discount pro-rata if a badge is acquired part way through a permit year.

·         Resident parking permits are paperless and can be managed via an online account. Our enforcement officers will check if a vehicle has a permit by the registration number.

·         Permits are limited to vehicles that are less than 5.25m in length and 2.3m in height and 3.5t or less. Vehicles beyond all of these sizes limits are not eligible and any vehicles found to be linked to a permit beyond these limits could be subject to refusal of permit. 

·         Permits will only be valid in the permit zone that the eligible property is contained within and we do not issue a resident permit to park in an adjacent zone.

Visitor Vouchers

·         Residents can supply visitors to their address with a visitor voucher. Like the resident permits, these are paperless and can be activated online via any Internet accessible device.

·         Residents in receipt of state pension may buy vouchers at a 50% concession rate with proof of pension.

·         Visitor vouchers are only required for visitors' vehicles who park on the highway during the restriction hours

Doctors and Health Care Visitors

·         Doctors and Health Care visitors who visit residents living in a permit zone are eligible for Healthcare Permits at a cost of £24 per year per vehicle. Please ask the health care provider to contact us for more information.

Students

·         Students living within a permit zone may purchase a permit. Like all residents, they will need to provide the correct proofs of residence and proof of vehicle, which demonstrates that their vehicle is registered or insured to the permit address.  There is no discount rate for students purchasing a permit or vouchers. The cost of the permit will be dependent on any other residents in the same property who have purchased a permit. We do not issue a permit to a vehicle if it is insured/registered at another address. 

Permit Prices

See https://www.welhat.gov.uk/parking-permits/prices

Required proofs for permits:

See www.welhat.gov.uk/parking-permits/application-documents

Permit Scheme Questions:

Q. Do I need to display a resident permit?

A. The permit system is paperless so no resident permit is required or supplied to be displayed on the resident's vehicle. The enforcement officers can check if a vehicle has a valid permit by carrying out a search of the registration. Please note a resident permit does not guarantee a space to park in the street, however it does allow the permit vehicle to be parked within the area of the resident parking zone.

Q. I live in a house of multiple occupation - what price is my permit?

A. Permits are priced per household, so if one of your housemates have already purchased a resident permit you will have to pay the relevant higher costs e.g. 2^nd or 3^rd vehicle permit.

Q. What about my work vehicle - could I buy a permit for that?

A. If the vehicle is issued to you for work purposes and registered to the company elsewhere, you can buy a resident permit for it, but your employer will need to provided a headed letter confirming you have use of a company vehicle. Please bear in mind permits can only be issued to vehicles less than 2.3 metres in height and less than 5.25 metres in length. 

Q. When do visitor vouchers need to be used?

A. If your visitor is parking on the carriageway during the restriction hours (This would be the days and times shown on the signage) a voucher is needed, if the visitor parks solely outside of those hours or on a driveway a visitor voucher would not be required. This means no vouchers are required after the end restriction time or on days the restrictions do not apply. Visitor vouchers are only to be used for visitors to the permit household, and should not be used for other purposes such as commuter parking or for drivers to park in the permit zone and not visit the permit household. Vouchers should also not be resold.

Q. Why are visitor vouchers limited to 240 vouchers per 12 months?

A. Compared to many local councils, we offer a larger number of vouchers as we know some people rely upon friends and family to support them in many ways. We do, however, set a limit to ensure the system is fairly used, and cannot be misused to allow non-visitors to utilise the cheaper parking compared to the railway station etc. We also have processes in place to ensure vouchers are not mis-used.

Q. What about any workmen visiting my property?

A. The cheapest option for short term works would be utilising visitor vouchers from the household allowance. For longer term works, a dispensation could be arranged via our enforcement partner East Herts council on 01279 655261.

Q. How do I upload my proofs onto my account?

A. You can either scan or take a digital photo (using a smart phone or camera) of the required documents and when you click on the upload in the application process select the documents. If you are unable to do either of these you may need to utilise a local company who provides photocopying services and send in the photocopies along with an application form

Q. Are my details secure online?

A. Yes NSL Apply is secured via an encrypted server as shown on the website by the padlock symbol.