Street’s parking misery

This is Lancashire
By David Watkinson

POLICE have issued tickets to a whole street in a clampdown on parking on pavements.
Officers targeted Ashworth Street, Baxenden, with fixed penalty notices after a complaint from ambulance drivers.
Residents partially park on the pavement to allow other vehicles to pass comfortably down the narrow street. But it is illegal to park with any wheels on a public pavement, prompting the police action.
And today, police officers admitted they do not have the manpower to apply the same punishments across the region but if a complaint is received they will act.

Now residents on Ashworth Street have put together a petition which has been handed to local councillor John Griffiths calling on Hyndburn Council to help them find a solution to where they can park their cars.
Community beat manager PC Clare Wall said she has had no choice but to issue the £30 fixed penalty notices to cars parked illegally.
She said: "We were first made aware of the problem by the ambulance service.
"Because of illegally-parked cars ambulance crews were unable to gain access to a house to pick up an elderly wheelchair-bound lady.
"In the eyes of the law it is an offence to park on the pavement. We have sent notices to all residents warning them about the issue. I know this has caused a lot of problems."
Resident Graham Schofield has organised the petition. He said if residents did not park on the pavement, the road would be too narrow for other vehicles to pass.
But he added: "We understand that people cannot park illegally but there is nowhere else to go.
"We are all very angry and the situation is just making parking in the area a complete nightmare."