White Lines Controversy

White lines were painted around the village green and in front of the church last week.  The white lines go around the corner of Helm Lane and extend as far as the church gate which could make access to the church difficult for elderly and disabled people, and wedding and funeral parties. Where are visitors to the church to park their cars now that so many white lines have blocked so much parking space around the green? I accept that there has been damage to the green, parking on the corner of Helm Lane is dangerous, and that owners of houses next to the church need access, but the extent of the white line coverage seem to me greater than it needs to be. Who authorised these I wonder and wouldn’t it have been better to paint some double yellow lines in the vicinity of the school in Oxenholme Lane to stop some of the ridiculous parking which happens twice a day?

Clive Walkley

Comments:

I do not see any plates anywhere near these lines which inform of a legal restriction being in force, neither are these lines yellow or red, so I would infer that they are advisory only. It might be that if illegal parking occured too near a junction, or by causing an obstruction in any way, that ignoring the lines could be taken into consideration as a factor in deciding to prosecute; similarly if an accident occured there. Anyway, I note with surprise the sudden increase in their length. I wasn't aware this was going to happen until more people started parking outside our house further up Helm Lane and I had difficulty in getting our car into our drive. 

Chris Sutcliffe