No power to curb parking

Express and Star
By Rebecca Jones
Mar 11, 2006

Police are powerless to enforce a parking ban at Bewdley's £500,000 showpiece square - because residents say yellow lines would ruin the look of it.
There are now fears the square will become nothing more than a car park because of the campaign to protect its York stone.
Police say physical barriers - such as bollards or benches - are needed to keep cars off. However, these have so far been rejected as they could get in the way of the new flood barriers on Severn Side South.
Although yellow lines will be painted along Severn Side South, the civic space will not be included as it would ruin the look of the York stone and the new paved area.
Bewdley Mayor Liz Davies said: "I will be raising the matter with the police we need their help to stop people parking there."
However, traffic management officer Pc Julian Turner said: "Basically, they have designed as a car park and without lines the restrictions are unenforcable."
He added that the force would normally be consulted before any alterations well in advance by the county council, but on this occasion police were only contacted at the beginning of September when the scheme had already been designed and constructed.
Meetings were requested with the Environment Agency, highways and councillors at which various options were put forward, including bollards and signs directing traffic to the main car parks.
Police say that without yellow lines, bollards, planters or seats across the civic area, a parking ban will be unenforcable.
Pc Turner said: "The police support a scheme for removable bollards, which would allow the Environment Agency access to erect the flood defences in an emergency without the need to remove parked vehicles."