Boss sees red over yellow lines
Sunderland Echo
By Jeremy Wicking
Furious motorist Malcolm Storey formed a barricade to stop workmen painting double yellow lines outside his workshop.
And now road bosses are threatening to call in the law over the businessman's protest.
The 54-year-old businessman, who runs C ans M Framing, next to the Stadium of Light, on the Sheepfold Industrial Estate, deliberately parked his car in the road to stop highways workers' doing their job.
He said he was taking a stand because the council had not informed businesses about the new traffic restrictions - claims the council disputes.
Mr Storey, who employs three staff and rented his council-owned small business unit for eight years, said that workers had a notice to paint all of Millenium Way from North Bridge Street.
Mr Storey said: "What's annoying is that I went to a meeting with council officials and the chamber of commerce before the Metro extension arrived. The council said it would let us know if there were ever any changes over parking arrangements and we've never seen anything, absolutely nothing.
"If I had seen something official then I would have disputed it as we've never had a parking problem around here on non-match days. Nobody can understand why the yellow lines have to go down here."
A council spokesman said: "Sunderland City Council has been undertaking an exercise to ensure that lines and signs correspond with traffic regulation orders. As part of that process, it was identified that a section of highway along Millenium Way did not have yellow lines although there was a traffic regulation order in existance covering that section."
The spokesman said restrictions were advertised in November last year, again in January, on lamposts, and there was plenty of alternative parking available nearby.
"The remainder of the yellow lines will be provided at the earliest opportunity and if necessary the police may be requested to remove the vehicles that are obstructing the highway to enable these works to be completed," he added.
Parking campaigner Neil Herron, who has been high-lighting loopholes in the council's parking rules, said: "How many home games are there a year? To me, this shows a complete lack of respect for small city businesses."
By Jeremy Wicking
Furious motorist Malcolm Storey formed a barricade to stop workmen painting double yellow lines outside his workshop.
And now road bosses are threatening to call in the law over the businessman's protest.
The 54-year-old businessman, who runs C ans M Framing, next to the Stadium of Light, on the Sheepfold Industrial Estate, deliberately parked his car in the road to stop highways workers' doing their job.
He said he was taking a stand because the council had not informed businesses about the new traffic restrictions - claims the council disputes.
Mr Storey, who employs three staff and rented his council-owned small business unit for eight years, said that workers had a notice to paint all of Millenium Way from North Bridge Street.
Mr Storey said: "What's annoying is that I went to a meeting with council officials and the chamber of commerce before the Metro extension arrived. The council said it would let us know if there were ever any changes over parking arrangements and we've never seen anything, absolutely nothing.
"If I had seen something official then I would have disputed it as we've never had a parking problem around here on non-match days. Nobody can understand why the yellow lines have to go down here."
A council spokesman said: "Sunderland City Council has been undertaking an exercise to ensure that lines and signs correspond with traffic regulation orders. As part of that process, it was identified that a section of highway along Millenium Way did not have yellow lines although there was a traffic regulation order in existance covering that section."
The spokesman said restrictions were advertised in November last year, again in January, on lamposts, and there was plenty of alternative parking available nearby.
"The remainder of the yellow lines will be provided at the earliest opportunity and if necessary the police may be requested to remove the vehicles that are obstructing the highway to enable these works to be completed," he added.
Parking campaigner Neil Herron, who has been high-lighting loopholes in the council's parking rules, said: "How many home games are there a year? To me, this shows a complete lack of respect for small city businesses."
posted by Neil Herron at 3:24 PM
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