Royston residents have been raising attention over the “particularly dangerous” parking situation in the Layston Park area, which has led the North East Herts MP to voice his own concerns.

As lines of cars owned by non-residents continue to occupy residential roads, the people who live there say they can't park outside their own homes - and fear accidents will be caused by corners being blocked.

But any hopes of a quick fix appear to have been dashed by Herts County Council, which says any proposed works are unlikely to be implemented before 2021.

Now, MP Sir Oliver Heald says he has been approached by a number of homeowners in Layston Park who are concerned about road safety and car parking, leading him to raise the issue directly with the county council.

Sir Oliver said: "It sounds as though residents are putting up with a parking nightmare and urgent action is required.

"I am asking HCC for a specific date when works will be done, so that residents can get some peace. So far I am being told it is more than a year away - and this is too long."

In response, a spokesperson for HCC said: "Investigative work into parking issues in Layston Park, Royston, is due to start in the new financial year and is being funded through Councillor Steve Jarvis' Highway Locality Budget.

"If, as a result of this work, any new waiting restrictions are proposed, the council has to follow a particular procedure to ensure these new restrictions are valid and legal.

"This includes gathering of evidence, stakeholder consultation, on site and local press advertising and dealing with objections. Therefore, any changes are unlikely to be implemented until early 2021."

One resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, described the situation as "very, very bad indeed," and is hoping for a quick solution to an issue that has plagued Layston Park for years.

They added: "The problem is clear to see, you just have to drive up the road. It's a particularly dangerous long line of cars.

"Ideally, we want a solution before the end of this year, but I'm not confident of a long-term fix. This has been going on for years.

"We're asking for the whole of Layston Park to have single yellow lines."