In a certain street not a million miles away from the station someone is having a loft conversion done.

Nothing wrong with that.

However the builder has taken to parking his van fully on the pavement, that is all four wheels. This forces people (includes children on their way to school), to walk around it onto the road.

I have seen this more than once, and upon seeing it again today called Hertsmere Council. I asked for Planning (in relation to the building work) and after a quich chat with the operator was put through to parking.

I explained the problem and I was told that that street had parking restrictions between 2-3pm and that it could be ticketed between these times. As I thought they had mis-heard me I explained the problem again in that a van was parking not just up on the pavement, but fully, all four wheels and I thought that was an offence at all times, not just from 2 til 3pm!.

I was informed that if parking restrictions were broken during enforced hours (in this case 2-3pm) then it was a council issue, otherwise it was a police issue The person I was speaking to was very defensive I told them I lived in Potters Bar and was reporting a safety matter, she obviously didn't think forcing children to walk on a road was a safety issue and then I thanked her for her time and hung up.

So there you have it. Park fully on the pavement and the council don't care unless you're breaking enforced parking restrictions.

I am also infuriated at this especially when the grass verge is ruined.

OK but presumably Hertsmere Borough Council have no powers to do anything about it. And they can only do anything that the law has laid down that they can do. This is the opposite to individuals like us, who can do anything except those things that the law says we cannot do. I expect there is a legal term for this. Obstruction of the public highway is a police matter, so that is who to contact - try the non-emergency police number 01707 661212 (easy to remember - like Whitehall 1212).

I agree about parking on verges, but have sympathy with those that live on roads such as Mutton Lane west of the Catholic Church, and have been denied the possibilty of parking on the road outside their own house, by yellow lines. Ok perhaps they shouldn't live there then, or have so many cars, but then that same argument could be used on every CPZ area - "can't park outside your own house because of station users or Canada Life staff? No you cant have a CPZ - you shouldn't live there if you mind!!".