Project overview

North Street has the potential to become one of Bishop’s Stortford’s most vibrant destinations - a place where people can come together, spend time and support local businesses.

Hertfordshire County Council is working in partnership with local businesses, Bishop’s Stortford Business Improvement District (BID) and Bishop’s Stortford Town Council to introduce a new trial street layout in North Street.

It provides an opportunity to test the new arrangement, helping us to assess how North Street could become an even more attractive place to visit in the future.

The trial will help us understand how a different street layout could:

• create a more welcoming, accessible and people-focused area of the town centre
• provide space for events, markets and community activities
• make it easier and safer for people walking and cycling
• support local businesses by encouraging people to spend more time in the street

The new street layout will be introduced from Monday 9 November 2026 and will be in place for up to 18 months.

The trial provides an opportunity to see how the changes work in practice, gather real-world feedback and help inform future decisions on both the road layout and any potential longer-term improvements to North Street.

What is changing?

Weekdays

From Monday 9 November 2026:

• a new one-way (southbound only) arrangement will be in place on North Street and Water Lane
• there will be no vehicle access into North Street from High Street or Market Street
• a new temporary 20mph speed limit will be introduced throughout the trial

Weekends

From Friday 13 November 2026:

• every weekend, North Street will become a pedestrian and cycle zone, with no through access to motor vehicles
• the zone will apply between the junctions with Water Lane and High Street/Bridge Street
• it will operate from 5.30pm on Fridays until 7am on Mondays
• gates will be closed at either end of North Street, managed by Bishop's Stortford Town Council

The first community event taking advantage of the new pedestrianised space at weekends will be the Bishop's Stortford BID's Festive Fun Day and lights switch-on, supported by Bishop's Stortford Town Council, on Sunday 15 November 2026.

Parking and public transport

No parking is initially being removed as part of the trial. However, on-street parking spaces within the weekend pedestrian and cycle zone on North Street, the Sworders Yard car park and parking to the rear of The George/Prezzo will not be accessible during the weekend closures.

Alternative parking is available in the following nearby car parks, which are all a 4 or 5 minute walk from North Street:

• Basbow Lane (includes 30 minute free parking tariff)
• Apton Road (includes 30 minute free parking tariff)
• Northgate End
• Jackson Square (note: this car park is locked at 1am)

Bus services will be diverted via Link Road throughout the trial. Passengers using the 35 and 511 services should use the nearest stops on Link Road instead of the Bridge Street stop.

Initial works and street features

The works to implement the new street layout are scheduled to start on Monday 9 November 2026 and take up to five days. All works will be carried out during daytime hours (8am to 5pm).

Traffic management will be required during the works, but we will seek to minimise disruption as much as possible.

Temporary street features, such as gates, planters and signs, will be installed as part of the scheme to manage the traffic restrictions. Initially, it may be necessary to use temporary barriers and signs.

We recognise that North Street is an important heritage street and that the appearance of the public realm matters.

This trial represents the first step in exploring a new future for North Street. While the initial measures will be simple and temporary, it creates an opportunity to test ideas and understand how the street could evolve over time.

Future phases could create a greener, more vibrant and more welcoming public space, with opportunities for planting, outdoor seating, café and hospitality space, markets, events and other improvements that encourage people to spend more time enjoying North Street.

Working with businesses

Together with Bishop's Stortford BID, we have engaged extensively with local businesses to understand the issues and challenges they currently face, hear their ideas and help us to develop the new street layout.

The trial aims to create a safer, more attractive and people-focused environment that encourages residents and visitors to spend more time in the town centre, supporting local shops, cafés and businesses while providing space for community events and activities.

We have also been working closely with businesses to understand and accommodate their delivery requirements and there will be further engagement in the coming weeks ahead of the start of the trial.

North Street is one of Bishop's Stortford's most distinctive destinations, with a great mix of independent shops, national brands, cafés, pubs, restaurants and local services. All businesses will remain open throughout the trial and we encourage residents and visitors to continue shopping, dining and spending time in the area.

Have your say

During the first six months of the trial, residents, businesses and visitors will be able to share their views through an online survey. The survey will be published on this page on Monday 9 November 2026.

Once the trial starts, a statutory six-month consultation period will also open as part of the Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) process. An ETRO is a legal order allowing local authorities to trial new traffic or parking restrictions before deciding whether to make them permanent.

Details on how to respond will be published on our traffic orders webpage.

By sharing your experiences, ideas and suggestions, you can support us in understanding how the new arrangement is working and help to shape the future of North Street.

We will also monitor the benefits and impacts of the trial.

More information

If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, you can email us at: northstreet@hertfordshire.gov.uk

Please also see our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for further information about the trial.