Double yellow lines agreed, say leaders
A COUNCIL which has painted yellow lines on a street near a hospital says the move was agreed months ago with the support of NHS bosses.
Double yellows were painted on half of Arundel Street in Ashtonunder-Lyne opposite Tameside Hospital last Thursday.
It came just hours after the initial Clap for our Carers and it sparked a heated debate online after a photo of workers painting them out was put on Facebook.
However the local authority said it was agreed several months ago with the consultation of everyone involved – hospital bosses and residents of the street, which also neighbours Tameside College.
They also say NHS workers are currently entitled to free parking in their car parks, one of which is next to the hospital.
A Tameside Council spokesman said: “These works, which have been advertised since last October, were carried out at the request of local residents concerned about pedestrian safety and inappropriate parking on the pavement.”
Dad-of-two Ben Kirkpatrick, 37, who has lived on the street for seven years and put the picture on Facebook, told the M.E.N.: “We were certainly never consulted.
“The first we knew about it was when we saw the initial markings on the street. Then we were woken up by them painting them at 1am last Friday morning.
“There’s no doubt NHS workers do park here. But at the end of the day they are paying their taxes and are doing a job for us so I don’t care.”
Double yellow lines mean parking is prohibited at any time.
Paul Featherstone, of the trust which runs Tameside Hospital, said: “The trust worked closely with the council on these plans and don’t have any objections to these yellow lines.”