Angry residents have been left ‘fighting’ for parking spaces after Shropshire Council blitzed an area of Shrewsbury with double yellow lines without consultation, it is claimed.
Highway bosses painted new double yellow lines around a number of corners in Copthorne Drive and Copthorne Road last Thursday – stretching onto the straight sections of the road – leaving residents dismayed.
They say no warning was given from the council while others said they had a letter around 18 months ago outlining the plans but had heard nothing since.
Despite the lines improving road safety, it has now left many people with nowhere to park after a residents’ parking permit scheme failed to get the go-ahead.
The new restrictions have led to a scramble for parking spaces with homeowners forced to park ‘miles’ up the road.
Mark Ball, of Copthorne Drive, said: “We have had a parking issue around here for quite some time and about eight months ago it was suggested that residents could be issued with parking permits – which never materialised.
“Then last week they just started putting double yellow lines everywhere without any consultation or mentioning anything to residents. There was absolutely no notification.
“They’ve acted without any consideration for residents and when I come home from work we are literally fighting to get a parking space. The general feeling about this among local residents is not good at all. I’m wondering whether it’s a matter of time before they start sending the wardens down here to catch people out.”
Resident Julie Williams, who has lived in the area for 10 years, said: “In principle I agree with the lines being painted because it has improved from a safety point of view but they’ve ended up going mad with the yellow paint and taken it too far round the corners. It’s already a very contentious issue for residents and now they have gone and made the problem worse.”
Duncan Brearley, who moved to Copthorne just under a year ago, said: “It’s the closest parking place to town which is free and a lot of people park down here in the day. The safety aspect has improved but what that has done is restrict the parking even more so residents have suffered.
“My car is now parked miles down the road and I think there’s a real feeling of bemusement because this is having a knock-on effect and has made the situation worse.”
Kevin Aitken, highways manager at Shropshire Council, said they carried out an informal and formal consultation with locals and the proposal was then approved by the planning committee in June 2010.
“The lines have been implemented to increase visibility at these junctions and there are also proposals to modify the waiting restrictions in the parking bays on the north side of Copthorne Road between Greenhill Avenue and Hafren Road,” he added.
By David Seadon