Kirkham pensioner's despair at parking ban on 'abnormally wide pavement' outside her home

A despairing pensioner who has lived on the same street for 25 years has voiced her frustration at parking enforcement plans.
Resident Carol Houghton is frustrated at the changeResident Carol Houghton is frustrated at the change
Resident Carol Houghton is frustrated at the change

Neighbours on one side of Freckleton Street in Kirkham have been parking on an exceptionally wide pavement outside their home for several years, with ample room for pedestrians to get past their vehicles.

The road has double yellow lines on their side, and no lines on the opposite side, which has a much slimmer pavement.

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The traditional parking regulations have seemingly never been enforced for people parking on the 'wide side'.

Resident Carol Houghton is frustrated at the changeResident Carol Houghton is frustrated at the change
Resident Carol Houghton is frustrated at the change

However, residents across Kirkham have received letters from Lancashire County Council warning them that they will start enforcing parking rules in the town after 'concerns'.

Grandmother Carol Houghton, 68, said: " All of us have always parked there and never had any problems - there is ample room for anyone to safely pass the cars.

"I have a health condition that means in the next few years I might not be able to walk very far from my car to my door and I feel very stressed about it.

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"The irony is that people are now parking their cars partly on the slimmer pavement across the road, which has no double yellow lines - but this is surely causing more of an obstruction that allowing us to park on the extremely wide pavement, where at least people have room to pass.

Now residents are parking on a narrower pavement, causing rows with other neighboursNow residents are parking on a narrower pavement, causing rows with other neighbours
Now residents are parking on a narrower pavement, causing rows with other neighbours

"It is also causing a conflict with neighbours on that side of the road.

"We're really not happy at all. I've lived here 25 years.

" I understand the rules but feel that our pavement should be an exception to rule because of the ample size of it - these rules should be considered on an individual basis because there's enough room for cars and pedestrians.

"There's a police station across the road and they've never bothered either.

Residents say there is even less space on the narrower side, which doesn't have double yellow linesResidents say there is even less space on the narrower side, which doesn't have double yellow lines
Residents say there is even less space on the narrower side, which doesn't have double yellow lines
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"Last year I received a fixed penalty notice but it was scrapped when I made my case - but they seem to have done a U-turn.

"Honestly it does not make sense to me.

"I suspect the problem has been brought to a head after the public house at the bottom of Freckleton Street was demolished and been replaced by new build houses."

Mrs Houghton wrote back to the council voicing her worries.

In a reply, a Highways Technical Support Officer said he sympathised with her medical condition, but wrote: "Unfortunately, just because this has been allowed to happen for several years does not mean it is right. The council have received a growing number of complaints regarding pavement parking abuse in Kirkham and it is important that we are consistent in our application of the law.

"The decision to enforce the law has been considered and the council seeks to reduce the accident risk rather than allow it to continue. The council cannot ignore serious concerns over public safety against residents parking... it is not possible to undertake a policy that varies dependent on where you live.

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"On any section of highway which has a yellow line in place parking is not permitted unless you are loading or unloading or have a blue badge which permits 3 hours of parking. A yellow line applies from the centre of the carriageway to the back of the highway (often the rear of the footway). So it is not a case that parking is now not allowed, it has been the case that it has, for as long as yellow lines have been in place, never allowed."

Peter Bell, regulation and enforcement manager for Lancashire County Council, said: “We have written to all residents of Kirkham to ensure that everyone was aware of the upcoming enforcement of parking regulations in the town.

"We also placed warning notices on vehicles for the first week, before beginning full enforcement.

“This is in response to an increase in complaints around vehicles parked fully on the footway in this area, and people’s concerns about the impact this has on pedestrians and road safety.

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“We are aware that some of this parking has occurred for some time and we appreciate that the enforcement will impact some residents more than others, however we must consistently enforce the regulations to reduce the risk to safety rather than allow it to continue.

“Yellow lines painted on the road prohibit people parking across the full width of that side of the highway, including the footway, and our letter to residents was intended to give people who may have been parking on the footway an opportunity to find an alternative location to leave their vehicle before receiving a penalty notice.

“Blue Badge holders are able to park on yellow lines for up to three hours, but are not allowed to obstruct the footway.”

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