The fight goes on over double yellow lines
Residents have safety concerns
Residents of a road in Haylands near Ryde are still fighting the imposition of double yellow lines as they fear it could lead to an accident — although the Isle of Wight Council aren’t budging.
The parking restrictions were approved for Mitchells Road in January by the Isle of Wight Council and will be installed along the entire road despite more than 75 objections.
One concerned resident said it was already causing them anxiety as it would mean car users were looking for spaces that did not exist and would inevitably lead to an accident.
They said it was going to “get silly” as more cars were displaced around the neighbouring roads, but there was already a problem with few spaces to spare.
The Isle of Wight Council said a request was made to look at the safety of Mitchells Road by a member of the public.
An assessment was carried out by a road safety engineer who determined it should be reviewed for increased parking restrictions.
The council said it took into account the physical limitations of the carriageway and inappropriate parking which would impact emergency vehicles’ access to properties.
At the same meeting where parking restrictions for Mitchells Road were approved, other parking schemes were abandoned which the community were also against.
The resident of Mitchells Road said there was no issue with emergency vehicles accessing the road, which was emphasised at the end of last year, when the fire service attended a property.
Mitchells Road meets a busy commuter cut-through, Upton Road, which has led to safety concerns for parents with children if they have to park on the busier road.
An Isle of Wight Council spokesperson said it was recognised the restrictions will have an impact on households who own multiple cars but in this instance — where the extent of the highways is so physically limited — the detrimental impact to the safety of road users and households outweighed the need to allow uncontrolled parking.
The authority said if there are issues once the double yellow lines are installed, residents can report it which would be picked up in future reviews.