Free Parking
This is Preston
20th March 06
A council blunder has led to a parking free-for-all in a city centre street.
Motorists have been parking in Guildhall Street, Preston, without fear of getting a ticket for nearly nine months despite double yellow lines, a single yellow line and signs clearly indicating no parking or loading.
The situation arose after the city's parking chiefs spotted an error in the street's traffic regulation order during a survey 18 months ago. The survey was part of the preparations for the decriminilisation of parking in September 2004 when parking enforcement was transferred from police to council control.
The error, caused by a legal technicality, meant that although there are all the usual no parking indicators, they are all unenforceable.
And workers and shoppers have been enjoying the a parking free-for-all, right in the middle of some of the city's parking ticket hotspots.
On most working days, there are around 25 cars lined bumper to bumper up the narrow side street, off Fishergate.
But business owners said the situation has caused chaos.
Charlotte Butler, of Spirit Health and Beauty, said: "It's been absolute chaos, it's caused traffic mayhem."
Grace Fraser, of clothing store, G-Funk, said: "I got stuck behind a loading van trying to get into one of the car parks at the back for 45-minutes.
"Some of the businesses are having trouble getting their rubbish collected because the vans can't get up. I've seen bin men walking up the street with the bins."
Margaret Bailey, assistant manager at Preston Health Food Store, said: "It's a pain. Some of our customers are disabled and struggle to get up the street when there's cars parked on the pavement. Pushchairs can't get through and people's wing mirrors are ripped off too."
Mrs Bailey said she could understand the attraction of `free parking' but believed people were taking advantage of the council gaff.
Now, a fresh order has been drawn up by the council to reinstate parking and loading restrictions, and Councillor John Swindells, executive member environment and sustainability will consider whether the order should be made at a meeting at the Town Hall on Tuesday.
If approved, warning signs will be put up in the street to warn motorists that parking wardens will start to give them tickets if they are parked illegally.
Peter Kuit, director of environmental services, said: "An anomaly has been found in the road traffic order for Guildhall Street and will be rectified in the next week.
"In the meantime, we urge people not to park there to help minimise obstructions."
20th March 06
A council blunder has led to a parking free-for-all in a city centre street.
Motorists have been parking in Guildhall Street, Preston, without fear of getting a ticket for nearly nine months despite double yellow lines, a single yellow line and signs clearly indicating no parking or loading.
The situation arose after the city's parking chiefs spotted an error in the street's traffic regulation order during a survey 18 months ago. The survey was part of the preparations for the decriminilisation of parking in September 2004 when parking enforcement was transferred from police to council control.
The error, caused by a legal technicality, meant that although there are all the usual no parking indicators, they are all unenforceable.
And workers and shoppers have been enjoying the a parking free-for-all, right in the middle of some of the city's parking ticket hotspots.
On most working days, there are around 25 cars lined bumper to bumper up the narrow side street, off Fishergate.
But business owners said the situation has caused chaos.
Charlotte Butler, of Spirit Health and Beauty, said: "It's been absolute chaos, it's caused traffic mayhem."
Grace Fraser, of clothing store, G-Funk, said: "I got stuck behind a loading van trying to get into one of the car parks at the back for 45-minutes.
"Some of the businesses are having trouble getting their rubbish collected because the vans can't get up. I've seen bin men walking up the street with the bins."
Margaret Bailey, assistant manager at Preston Health Food Store, said: "It's a pain. Some of our customers are disabled and struggle to get up the street when there's cars parked on the pavement. Pushchairs can't get through and people's wing mirrors are ripped off too."
Mrs Bailey said she could understand the attraction of `free parking' but believed people were taking advantage of the council gaff.
Now, a fresh order has been drawn up by the council to reinstate parking and loading restrictions, and Councillor John Swindells, executive member environment and sustainability will consider whether the order should be made at a meeting at the Town Hall on Tuesday.
If approved, warning signs will be put up in the street to warn motorists that parking wardens will start to give them tickets if they are parked illegally.
Peter Kuit, director of environmental services, said: "An anomaly has been found in the road traffic order for Guildhall Street and will be rectified in the next week.
"In the meantime, we urge people not to park there to help minimise obstructions."
posted by Neil Herron at 10:18 AM
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