A county council has painted double red lines on a road in the Peak District after was regularly used by people in campervans to park free overnight.
The old A625 so-called “Broken Road” near Mam Tor in the Derbyshire village of Castleton was popular with campers because it was in a beauty spot but did not have through traffic, due to a landslip in the 1970s closing the road further up the hill.
Derbyshire County Council says the red route has been implemented in a bid to ensure safe parking, control traffic flow and allow access for emergency vehicles, and follows a decade of discussions on the issue of inconsiderate parking with the parish council and residents, as visitor numbers continue to grow.
It says a public consultation on the issue saw two-thirds of those responding making suggestions or supporting the proposed restrictions.
Derbyshire’s Cabinet Member for Potholes, Highways and Transport, Councillor Charlotte Hill said: “With these measures we have listened carefully and tried to balance the needs of local people, business and visitors to this beautiful part of our county.
“Its essential residents can rely on emergency and other services to reach them no matter the time of day, which can be difficult when people have doubled parked or blocked driveways.
“At the same time, we want to encourage sustainable visitor numbers, reduce congestion and deliver the best outcome to what is one of the most highly visited and outstanding areas in Derbyshire.”
On a Campervan owners’ Facebook page, one comment suggested a minority of irresponsible people were to blame: “Talking to one of the wardens a few months back and he said parking was getting stopped because of people thinking it was a camp site with tables and chairs and the farm had complained about the constant amounts of human waste being tipped over the wall into the field,” posted one person. “Another great stop over stopped because of the entitled.”
Another added: “Its the idiots spoiling it for us responsible van owners! Stay on the road and leave no trace? Take rubbish and all waste home? Why oh why do folk have to spoil it?”, while another added: “This behaviour just keeps on growing, as does the resulting parking restrictions that follow. Idiots never listen or learn.”
(Picture – Ben Dover Facebook, with permission)
