Steps to protect roadside pavements and verges from being damaged during building development in St Albans have been discussed.

At a meeting on Thursday, February 6, St Albans District Council’s Services Scrutiny Committee heard that the council has limited powers to prevent parked vehicles and storage of building materials causing damage.

As a result, the committee suggested a permanent Compliance and Monitoring Officer be installed to tackle the problem. As part of the job, they will make developers aware that damage to pavements and verges is unacceptable.

The committee also suggested notes should be attached to planning permissions requesting that no damage is caused to paths or roadside verges during development. The notes would also advise developers to obtain permission from Hertfordshire County Council if they want to store materials on parts of the highway outside the building site.