Latest news with #parkingrestrictions
BBC News
4 days ago
- BBC News
Barnard Castle residents ignore Appleby Fair parking ban
Residents say they are "dumbfounded" that temporary parking restrictions have been imposed on their street yet the past 15 years, Durham County Council has put the ban in place to stop people on their way to Cumbria's Appleby Fair parking outside homes on Bridgegate in Barnard temporary prohibition order states it is to "minimise a danger to the public caused by indiscriminate parking", with residents being asked to leave their vehicles in a car park 10 minutes' walk appealing to the council every year, residents say they are not being listened too, so are "taking a stand" and ignoring the restrictions. Mark Carter, who lives on Bridgegate, said: "The letter says there's no waiting at any time. It's things like when we do our weekly shopping, it's impossible. "And people coming home late at night and having to walk back in the dark. For some of the older residents, that'll be quite frightening." Mr Carter explained Bridgegate residents had asked the council for temporary permits in previous years with no success, so he and others had decided to ignore the cones which were put up along both sides of the road."I don't agree with it," he said. "Even if they do give us fines, we're not going to pay them because we should have a right to park outside our own homes."Fellow resident Emily Brown has a four-year-old daughter and is also ignoring the restrictions this year. "They've offered us permits to park at the top of town but that's no good when you've got a little girl who doesn't want to walk to the car, then trying to navigate back through the traffic to get to school," she Brown added it had been "a long time" since travellers had tried to park in town and said the council should "stop discriminating against the travelling community".Dave Lewin, Durham County Council's strategic traffic manager, said: "We continue to work closely with partners, businesses, residents and members of the Gypsy, Roma, Traveller communities to provide a smooth transition through Barnard Castle."We welcome and value any relevant feedback from residents and road users and such feedback will be included in future discussions and considerations." Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
New parking measures to tackle beach gridlock
Visitors to a beach featured in the hit TV show House of the Dragon will face new parking restrictions in a bid to halt gridlock. Ticket prices are set to rise, while the main car parks for those heading to Llanddwyn beach on Anglesey could be closed off from mid-morning. National Resources Wales (NRW), which manages the beach and forest nature reserve, say it is in response to ongoing problems in the nearby village of Newborough. Residents there have held public protests over the level of congestion as more and more people flock to the beach. The main route to the beach car park means vehicles have to pass through the village on a narrow road to reach the beach. At peak times, such as summer and public holidays, it has led to long queues of traffic. For the road down to the beach - Church Street - it can leave residents there unable to get in or out from their own homes for hours on end. "The people who live on Church Street, there are so many houses there, and they basically have to plan their day around the visitors that come to the area - which isn't right at all," said the county councillor for the area, John Ifan Jones. Anger at traffic gridlock at House of the Dragon beach Cash for tourist firms to shelter visitors from rain Prison threat for residents over parking cones From Friday a fresh attempt to address the issues is being tested. Parking at the main beach car parks will rise to £5 for two hours, and then a further 70p for every additional 20 minutes - up to a maximum of £15 a day. In addition, there will be a trial over the bank holiday weekend, closing access to the car parks on Saturday, Sunday and Monday as they become full. The car parks will shut to new vehicles entering until 16:30 BST each day. "The trial will stop vehicles accessing the site once the car park becomes full," explained Richard Berry, the NRW land management team leader for the region. "Even as cars leave the site and spaces become available no vehicular access will be allowed until after 4.30pm. "We hope this approach will safeguard the site's precious wildlife, improve the visitor experience and reduce congestion in the village where motorists currently wait for a parking space on the site to become available." NRW warned that could see the car parks closed from as early as 11:00 during the trial, and said prospective visitors should consider venturing to the beach at quieter times - or choose other beach locations on Anglesey - it has over 40 dotted around the island's coast. "We hope this approach will safeguard the site's precious wildlife, improve the visitor experience and reduce congestion in the village where motorists currently wait for a parking space on the site to become available." The area's county councillor said the trial would be carefully monitored by the community, to see what impact it had on traffic through the village over the summer. "We have to try something, and this is the first step of many I hope," said Mr Jones. An official for Anglesey council said it would be enforcing existing parking restrictions in the village itself and the surrounding areas over the holiday weekend. "In addition, we'll ask the public for their support by parking responsibly and safely and asking them to take the needs of the local community into account," they added.
BBC News
22-05-2025
- BBC News
House of the Dragon: New beach parking measures over gridlock
Visitors to a beach featured in the hit TV show House of the Dragon will face new parking restrictions in a bid to halt prices are set to rise, while the main car parks for those heading to Llanddwyn beach on Anglesey could be closed off from Resources Wales (NRW), which manages the beach and forest nature reserve, say it is in response to ongoing problems in the nearby village of there have held public protests over the level of congestion as more and more people flock to the beach. The main route to the beach car park means vehicles have to pass through the village on a narrow road to reach the peak times, such as summer and public holidays, it has led to long queues of the road down to the beach - Church Street - it can leave residents there unable to get in or out from their own homes for hours on end. "The people who live on Church Street, there are so many houses there, and they basically have to plan their day around the visitors that come to the area - which isn't right at all," said the county councillor for the area, John Ifan Jones. From Friday a fresh attempt to address the issues is being at the main beach car parks will rise to £5 for two hours, and then a further 70p for every additional 20 minutes - up to a maximum of £15 a addition, there will be a trial over the bank holiday weekend, closing access to the car parks on Saturday, Sunday and Monday as they become car parks will shut to new vehicles entering until 16:30 BST each day. "The trial will stop vehicles accessing the site once the car park becomes full," explained Richard Berry, the NRW land management team leader for the region."Even as cars leave the site and spaces become available no vehicular access will be allowed until after 4.30pm."We hope this approach will safeguard the site's precious wildlife, improve the visitor experience and reduce congestion in the village where motorists currently wait for a parking space on the site to become available." NRW warned that could see the car parks closed from as early as 11:00 during the trial, and said prospective visitors should consider venturing to the beach at quieter times - or choose other beach locations on Anglesey - it has over 40 dotted around the island's coast."We hope this approach will safeguard the site's precious wildlife, improve the visitor experience and reduce congestion in the village where motorists currently wait for a parking space on the site to become available." Parking issues The area's county councillor said the trial would be carefully monitored by the community, to see what impact it had on traffic through the village over the summer."We have to try something, and this is the first step of many I hope," said Mr Jones. An official for Anglesey council said it would be enforcing existing parking restrictions in the village itself and the surrounding areas over the holiday weekend."In addition, we'll ask the public for their support by parking responsibly and safely and asking them to take the needs of the local community into account," they added.
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Crackdown on 'unsafe' tourist coaches in England's 'most beautiful village': Parking restrictions enforced in Cotswold hotspot invaded by 20,000 visitors every weekend
Parking restrictions are being introduced on tourist coaches entering what has been dubbed England's most beautiful village which is invaded by a huge number of visitors every weekend. The picturesque Cotswold village of Bibury can sometimes see as many as 20,000 visitors in a weekend, and up to 50 coaches parking there in a day. Gloucestershire County Council has now announced a temporary traffic management trial, starting on Friday, for the bank holiday weekend. It will see the existing coach bays in the village centre temporarily closed and instead bus stops will be installed for safer passenger drop-off and pick-up. The county council said it had worked with local coach operators, businesses, and the community to introduce the trial in the popular village. Newly-appointed county council leader Lisa Spivey, who represents the South Cerney division, said: 'The safety of our residents and visitors is paramount. 'We've seen an increase in unsafe coach movements, particularly reversing into bays without proper guidance, which poses a serious risk to pedestrians and other road users. 'This trial is a proactive step to prevent accidents and ensure Bibury remains a welcoming and safe destination for all.' The council is urging visitors to park responsibly and use designated parking areas. 'Irresponsible parking not only endangers others but also detracts from the charm and accessibility of this historic village,' a council spokesman said. 'Any vehicles not parked in compliance with parking restrictions will risk being issued with a parking penalty charge notice.' As part of the trial, car parking will also be suspended opposite the trout farm to provide a safe area for coaches to drop off and pick up customers. Visitors arriving by car are encouraged to use the pay and display car park at the trout farm or on The Street, which offers unrestricted parking. People living in Bibury, once described by 19th Century writer William Morris as the 'most beautiful village in England', say for much of the year it becomes like the Wild West. The increase of visitors is partly driven by so-called influencers promoting the tiny villages as perfect day trip destinations from big cities such as London on social media. Longer-term recommendations from Gloucestershire County Council include looking into prohibiting coaches from stopping and parking in Bibury completely and improving signs to direct them away from its narrow lanes. The group wants to see if there might be areas outside of the village where coaches could park. It also wants to encourage tourists to use other ways of visiting Bibury, such as walking, cycling, using public transport or minibuses. Councillor Stephen Davies, leader of Gloucestershire County Council, said in March: 'We are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of Bibury residents and visitors. 'The proposed measures will help manage traffic more effectively and enhance the overall experience for everyone. 'We appreciate the community's support and cooperation as we implement these changes. Visitors arriving by car are encouraged to use the pay and display car park at the trout farm or on The Street, which offers unrestricted parking 'We also understand that these proposals may not be popular with coach operators, however we are determined to work to find a solution for coach tourists to be able to visit Bibury but this will take time. 'Therefore, we have attempted to find compromise solutions that offer outcomes which continue to welcome visitors in a managed way, whilst also addressing safety and congestion concerns of the village.' Parish council chairman Craig Chapman, added: 'Whilst the residents of Bibury acknowledge that we live in a lovely village, the pressures put on us by the sheer volume of tourists visiting and coaches bringing tourists has become intolerable and unacceptable.' He added: 'Whilst this is the start of action, it is very positive and I am confident it will be appreciated by the community.' Coaches have already been banned from going into the centre of nearby Bourton-on-the-Water, dubbed the 'Venice of the Cotswolds', because of similar issues to those in Bibury. The plans sparked a war between locals amid fears that banning coaches could make Bourton-on-the-Water a 'ghost town'. Serious parking and congestion issues led to enraged locals calling for the ban as they say Bourton-on-the-Water 'cannot cope' with the huge influx of visitors. The beautiful village, which is 15 miles east of Cheltenham and has a population of 3,000, was given the 'Venice' label because of the number ornate stone bridges over the River Windrush. Tens of thousands of tourists flock to the village every year - which is great for traders - but residents were growing increasingly frustrated with the congestion. Parish and district councillor Jon Wareing last year said Bourton was buckling under the weight of an ever increasing number of daytrippers. 'People can spend an hour in their car, driving around. Some of the ''difficult'' behaviour that follows is because they get frustrated. 'One of my neighbours asked this person not to park on his property and got threatened with violence. He said he knew where they lived if they did anything to his car and threatened to throw a brick through their window.'
Telegraph
13-05-2025
- Telegraph
Councillor reprimanded for hand-painting parking restrictions outside his home
A councillor has been reprimanded for hand-painting parking restrictions outside his home. Altaf Patel painted red lines outside his home in Blackburn, Lancashire, in December 2024 in an attempt to stop other motorists 'parking in front of the property'. But he was forced to scrape them off after his own local authority said he had committed a 'highways offence'. Cllr Patel, who represents Little Harwood and Whitebirk ward on Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, has now paid almost £3,000 for official markings to be painted. The independent councillor previously went viral in 2021 for a campaign video in which he gave peace signs behind X-rated graffiti in a children's playground. Cllr Patel said he had made a 'genuine mistake' after neighbours accused him of thinking he was 'above the law'. 'Nobody has been placing themselves above the law,' he said. 'There have been issues with people parking in front of the property. 'Due to being a taxi driver, I need access to the property at all times, and this has been an ongoing issue.' He added: 'People have been parking in front of the house. My daughter has recently passed her test, and she bought a car and also needs access to the driveway. 'I had originally painted the red lines to mark out where the official lines should go, in case I was not home when work was due to come. It was only temporary.' Cllr Patel said he removed the lines four days after he had painted them when the council contacted him to say he should not have done the work himself. Carmel Foster-Devine, the authority's head of highways and transport, said he had committed a 'highways offence'. 'Painting red lines on the road outside his house is a highways offence, and Cllr Patel received a formal letter from our highways department instructing him to remove them,' she said. Cllr Patel later paid £2,956 to the council for a dropped kerb and H-bar line – preventing people from parking outside the driveway – to be installed. Ms Foster-Devine added: 'Cllr Patel applied and paid for both the dropped kerb and the H-bar line painting outside his property, as any resident would be required to.' In a statement, Cllr Amin Kapadia, who represents the Audley and Queens Park ward where Cllr Patel lives, said: 'Actions such as these undermine the public's trust in elected representatives and contravene the standards expected under the Councillors' Code of Conduct. '[These lines] are not only inappropriate but also potentially hazardous.'
