Visitors to the Yorkshire Dales who block narrow country roads with badly parked cars should have their vehicles towed away, a councillor has told police.
Councillor David Staveley warned this week that emergency services could be blocked from getting to a life-threatening incident by irresponsible drivers.
The North Yorkshire Council member for Settle and Penyghent told the Skipton and Ripon area committee that the problem was particularly bad in his division at Stainforth Force.
He added:
“I hate to say it but my instinct is that it’s only a matter of time before something tragic happens there, and when it does you won’t get an ambulance within a mile of that place at the current rate the way people are behaving and the way the parking is going — you won’t get close.”
Chief Inspector Simon Williamson, county commander for neighbouring policing, told the meeting that parking was decriminalised and under the legislation, the council had a significant role to play in the enforcement.
However, he added:
“The police do retain the power to issue tickets for unnecessary obstruction.
“We had this issue at Richmond Falls, which I know is not in this area, but nonetheless is quite topical because of the similar issues that you’ve had in some of the areas of your own constituency, and we have utilised issuing a number of tickets on those occasions where it has led to unnecessary obstruction.
“The team have been looking closely at some of the issues we’ve had over the previous hot weather period and some of the parking issues that have arisen, and have been working closely with community safety colleagues, with council colleagues and fire and rescue colleagues to look at potential solutions.”
Chief Insp Williamson added that he did not want to see a “knee-jerk response” which obstructed people legitimately enjoying the area.
But Cllr Staveley said it would not be a knee-jerk reaction for the police to tackle parking problems in the Dales.
He added:
“I’m sick to death of being told by parking enforcement at North Yorkshire (Council) that it’s down to the police, and the police said it’s down to parking enforcement at North Yorkshire (Council).
“I think its Macadams who are our local appointed recovery service for the police.
“Get them in action and get these vehicles picked up and moved because the simple fact is I’d rather do that and have one visitor get a little bit upset because they’ve been picked up for their bad parking that have a fire engine or an ambulance unable to get to a scene of an accident or an incident and human life be under threat.
“It seems like a small thing but it has big implications potentially and I think it’s about time it was dealt with.”
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