U-turn over unwanted double yellow lines?
Furze Platt: Council may have to remove the lines after residents complain
The council may be forced to u-turn on a decision to place double yellow lines along a Furze Platt street after several residents voiced their displeasure.
On December 14 residents on Switchback Road South were confused when council workers began painting double yellow lines on the road – without prior warning.
Garage owner John Stuchbery was particularly angered as the yellow lines were right outside his place of business, Exlers Garage.
Though there is capacity for six cars to park outside his garage, the new double yellows mean that his 2-3,000 customers can no longer do so – which is ‘detrimental’ to his business.
“I’ve been here 30 years, there have never been any restrictions,” he said.
According to Mr Stuchbery, none of his neighbours were consulted or informed.
“I asked five houses to the left and right of me, five houses to the right, and no one was consulted,” he said. “No one wants the double yellow lines.”
“It’s in a lay-by, so it doesn’t affect traffic – there’s no common sense to it.”
Mr Stuchbery contacted his ward councillor Joshua Reynolds (Lib Dem, Furze Platt) who looked into the issue.
It transpired that the double yellow lines had been
put in as part of the drawing up of new parking bays in the street, in order to make the new bays more effective.
“When someone wants to have parking bays put in, about 50 per cent or more of people who will be affected by the bays have to come back and say, yes, they want them,” said Cllr Reynolds.
“That’s what they did – but this wasn’t quite what they had in mind,” he said. “I think the most likely outcome will
be that the double yellow lines have got to be taken away.”
Speaking to the Advertiser after hearing the news that the double yellow lines would be reconsidered, Mr Stuchbery said:
“They’re wasting their money, putting the lines down and taking them up again – but they have seen the error of their ways and they have acted swiftly. I have had a positive outcome today.”