Consultation begins on safer parking plans for village near Lancaster

The plans are focused on introducing no waiting at any time restrictions marked by double yellow lines in Main Street to minimise the impact of cars parked along the narrow road.

Parking is currently causing a number of issues. These include restricting sightlines and road space, which has contributed to incidents resulting in injury, restricting the movement of vehicles, with buses particularly affected, and causing conflict with pedestrians as drivers often mount the narrow pavements to squeeze past other vehicles.

The proposals are for no waiting at any time restrictions along the north side of Main Street from Church Hill Avenue to just north of Coach Road/Borwick Lane, and for short lengths on the south side to maintain a number of passing places.

It is also proposed to introduce short lengths of restrictions around the junctions with Borwick Lane, Coach Road and Church Hill Avenue to ensure sightlines are kept clear.

County Coun Rupert Swarbrick, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: "These proposals aim to address ongoing safety issues, along with problems raised by residents and transport operators, about the difficulties caused to both vehicles and pedestrians by parking on Main Street."

"There have been some safety issues, with parked vehicle contributing to incidents where people have been injured. People have also reported problems using the already narrow pavements, and we want to avoid any incident which may result if vehicles continue mounting the kerb to pass.

"People generally park on the south side of the road rather than the north side in recognition that double parking would effectively block the road, so the proposed restrictions along the north side are intended to reinforce this existing practice.

"The proposed restrictions on short lengths of the south side of Main Street are intended to create spaces where drivers can see ahead and pull in if necessary to let others through, which is particularly important for larger vehicles such as buses.

"Some of these restrictions are across existing accesses or opposite junctions where parking would anyway be inappropriate, as we still want to allow people to park in safe places which will not cause problems.

"Nothing has been decided yet and I'm grateful to people for considering these proposals and responding to the consultation as we will listen fairly carefully to all the feedback we receive."

The consultation will take place from September 14 to October 12. You can view the proposals at https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/roads-parking-and-travel/roads/roadworks-and-traffic-regulation-orders/permanent/proposed-traffic-regulation-orders-tros/

Any support for, or objections to, the proposals, specifying the grounds on which they are made, must be made in writing to The Director of Law and Governance, Lancashire County Council, PO Box 100, County Hall, Preston, PR1 0LD or by email to [email protected], quoting ref LSG4\894.16958\AFR