COUNTY highways officers insist they will only implement a parking ban on Bridgegate, in Barnard Castle, during the weeks of Appleby Fair migration – despite wanting an order which extends for a full four months during the summer.
In addition to the application for a “no waiting at any time” order on the street from May 1 through to August 31, officials also want to reserve four of the parking bays for blue badge holders only.
The proposals were due to be discussed by Durham County Council’s highways committee on Tuesday, February 15, but were withdrawn to consider comments submitted by residents.
Some are not at all happy with the proposals and say that by reserving all of the parking bays for residents only, the problem of travellers camping there during the annual migration to Appleby Fair will be resolved.
Resident Mark Carter said: “I have no qualms whatsoever with the travelling community as this is a tradition that has been going since 1685.
“What I do have a qualm about is being told we, as residents, cannot park outside our homes, being threatened with fines if we do and being told to park at the top of a steep bank in a car park almost a mile away.
“It’s not only unsafe at night to walk home, but some elderly people would struggle walking back to their homes and feel frightened.”
He added: “The council needs to get this sorted, it’s unfair, it’s not safe and they are taking away our rights as residents to park outside our homes.
“All residents need to be given parking permits for this period of the year. It’s not rocket science.”
His neighbour Becky Fell described the four month “no waiting at any time” order as horrific.
She added: “We have two cars, one of which is a van, and we have to pay extra on our insurance if it is not parked outside our house.”
However, officers say residents’ permits are simply not viable because there are not enough parking bays for every household.
Dave Wafer, Durham County Council’s head of transport and contract services, had previously said: “Although the order could be operated between May and August, the restrictions are essentially only in force during the weeks of the fair, with signs in place making it clear when they are in operation.
“A lack of available parking along Bridgegate means it would not be possible to offer resident permits to every property. However, blue badge provision has been introduced to make it more accessible for residents who need it.”
In a new statement Mr Wafer said following comments from the public regarding the seasonal traffic order, the matter would no longer be discussed at the highways committee meeting this month.
He added: “This is to allow us to carefully consider all comments before deciding how best to proceed, and we will feed back to residents.”
