[13
APR 00] COVENTRY CITY COUNCIL NEWS
Parking Problems Set To Stay
BY ANTONY HOPKER
Campaigners
pushing for the removal of out-of-date yellow lines in Coventry are
likely to be disappointed because of the cost of advertising any
future changes.
Petitions
calling for double yellow lines to be painted over in cramped
residential areas have been raining in on Coventry City Council for
more than a year.
They
relate to roads with schools and factories that are now closed but
still have the lines forbidding parking.
A
review of the streets that no longer need the yellow lines is due to
be completed shortly by engineers, and is likely to recommend sweeping
changes.
But
Cllr John McNicholas, chairman of the city’s Environment and
Transportation Policy Team, said the cost is likely to be prohibitive.
As
well the actual work to paint over the lines, the changes have to be
advertised by law in a local newspaper.
And
Cllr McNicholas said the cost of advertising all the changes in the
Coventry Evening Telegraph was the major obstacle.
He
said:
“The
paint would cost hardly anything and the labour would be cheap as
well.
“But
with the advertising it will cost us around £300,000 – it costs
around £1,200 to £1,500 to advertise each road.
“The
Telegraph knows that as they have a monopoly service they can charge
a full price.”
Cllr
McNicholas said a classic example of a road where yellow lines were no
longer needed was in his own Lower Stoke ward.
He
said:
“There
are lines around the old Humber Plant which is now closed. They need
to be changed, particularly as there are a lot of issues about
parking around there.”
Cllr
Lindsley Harvard (Labour, Earlsdon) said more than 70 constituents had
contacted him about parking problems in the area.
He
said some residents living near the railway station wanted tougher
restrictions because of people parking outside their homes.
Others,
living in Aylesdene Court, Osborne Road, want lines to be added
because they are being blocked in by cars and lorries.
But
there are more than a dozen roads where residents are supporting the
removal of the lines.
He
added:
“The
other area where the lines is an issue is Earlsdon Street. Some of
the lines are historic and we must make sure that the shops aren’t
affected by poor parking.”
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