OWNERS who park their vehicles on a village green could face court action.
Cockfield Parish Council agreed more needs to be done to curb the number of vehicles using the village greens as a car park.
Last December members of the parish council agreed to erect more signs saying offenders faced a £200 fine if they were caught. However, chairwoman Cllr Brenda Singleton told the last meeting that this was not enough.
She told councillors that no sooner had the parish caretaker erected one of the new signs at the east end of the village near the butchers, someone had taken it down. She said: “The cement was not even dry and they pulled it out. We need to look at some other way. Raby Estates says there is no agreement with them about the use of the green as parking for householders.”
Cllr Neville Singleton pointed out the parish council had the right to prosecute offenders who parked on the village greens. He added: “We could take people to court. About five or six other parish councils have done this and won. If we have to, we will.”
Clerk Phil Howard added Durham County Council can take people to court for parking on the village green and members agreed to send photographs of offending vehicles and ask for action to be taken.
Cllr Jonathan Milroy said there were three areas of the village green where continual parking was eroding the grass, adding that bollards maybe another solution.
He added: “Staindrop has bollards all along its greens at the edge to stop cars – really robust looking things. Maybe we should invest in some to stop this happening.”
Cllr Christine Watters said: “It needs doing.”
Members agreed to investigate the cost of bollards in three areas on Front Street – at the chemists, near High Croft and the area below the butchers.
