Hertfordshire County Council says unfinished work on road at Northgate End car park and junction are due to developer’s insolvency
Confusing road markings at the entry and exit of the Northgate End car park in Bishop’s Stortford and the unfinished junction nearby are due to a developer charged with completing the work going bust.
The confusion lies for Link Road motorists wishing to enter the multi-storey from the direction of The Causeway. The markings aren’t clear where to position cars on entering the car park, with two right-turn boxes adding to the confusion – and for those exiting the car park, turning left on to Link Road, there are more puzzling markings.
The East Herts Council-owned car park, which was opened in June 2022, has attracted criticism from some drivers who say it is tricky to negotiate the entrance and the ramp to the upper floors. Some have slammed the building as being “like a prison block”.
In March 2021 the Indie reported that Rydon – the main contractor responsible for refurbishing London’s Grenfell Tower, which was destroyed by fire in June 2017 – was contracted to build the car park and a four-storey, mixed-use building with commercial space at ground level and 15 flats above.
The following month, it was reported that Rydon offloaded three of its regional construction businesses, covering the South West, London and South East, to the newly formed Real Construction. Real LSE subsequently filed for administration in September 2023.
A spokesperson for Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) told the Indie this week: “These are works carried out by a developer that did not complete the works due to insolvency.
“We are working with highways partners and East Herts Council, who own the site, to finalise and agree the necessary remedial works, including surfacing and markings.”
Residents have also criticised work that saw the roundabout at the junction of Link Road with Northgate End and Hadham Road replaced with traffic signals as part of the development.
The old roundabout remains visible in the middle of the junction, adding to the confusion for drivers. HCC confirmed to the Indie that this junction would be part of the remedial works.
Cllr Calvin Horner, the Herts county councillor for Bishop’s Stortford East division, said: “I’ve been chasing this work for some time now, as the two scheduled slots for Rydon to carry out the work were both aborted at the last minute and it is now long overdue.
“Following the bankruptcy of the developers, responsibility has passed to the development management committee at HCC. I was promised an update after my last enquiry but this has not materialised and I have chased again.”
Besides criticism from some drivers, the building adjoining the car park has been hit with problems.
The Indie reported last month that East Herts Council was ready to sell off the 15 vacant flats and commercial space “as a job lot for a quick sale”.
The homes and business premises were built alongside the £20m car park and cost the authority £100,000 a year to manage.
The ground floor of the building is occupied by HRGO Recruitment and Launchpad, the council’s co-working, office and meeting space which moved from Charringtons House to make way for the Old River Lane development. But the flats have been unoccupied for more than two-and-a-half years.
The car park itself is undergoing a spruce up, with walls being repainted and an office installed in the downstairs lobby area, to encourage more users.
