Meanwhile, in England: New democratic rights to challenge yellow lines and unfair parking charges

A new right could allow local residents and local firms to raise-up a petition that will require a council review of the use of yellow lines and unfair parking charges, Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles announced today, 30th August.

Sadly though, like many of the common sense initiatives coming out of the UK Department for Communities and Local Government, this new right will not extend to Wales anytime soon!

These changes will give local people a direct and democratic say over yellow line road restrictions in their area and the power to challenge existing council parking policies.

A minimum of 50 council tax payers’ signatures or at least 10% of the residents or businesses in the affected local areas is being proposed.

This new right will give local residents, a simple, fair and transparent mechanism for all road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, people with disabilities, shopkeepers and local business men and women, to raise concerns about the placement of yellow lines.

Following a wider consultation on over-zealous parking the government will now amend the statutory guidance to introduce a system that will mean a petition triggers a local authority review of any aspect of parking policy.

In response to a petition, local authorities will be required to review their parking policy in a specified location, and produce a report for consideration by councillors in an appropriate public council meeting. If needed, the government is ready to consider the case for entrenching in legislation.

Eric Pickles MP

Eric Pickles said:

Too often yellow lines are imposed on neighbourhoods or the high street without fair consideration of the livelihood of residents, local shops or the availability of parking spaces. Now local people will have a direct and democratic right to trigger a formal council led review of road restrictions in their area.

Town centres need to allow for proper traffic flow, but incessant yellow lines, CCTV spy cars and trigger happy parking wardens make everyday life unbearable for drivers looking for somewhere to park when shopping locally.

This government is standing up for hard working people and tackling over-zealous parking enforcement practices and unfair parking charges that force people away from the high street and into out-of-town shopping centres or online.