9 of Huddersfield’s ‘lazy parking’ hotspots targeted by Leeds Road Police

Police have handed out more fines to drivers who parked their cars on pavements in Huddersfield.

The latest fixed penalty notices were given at the weekend to motorists parked on the pavement in Leeds Road, near the entrance to Leeds Road Retail Park, closest to Home Bargains. The charge is £50 for parking offences.

West Yorkshire Police said: “Team 1 NPT (Neighborhood Policing Team) attended Leeds Road, Huddersfield at the weekend after receiving reports of obstructive parking.

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“Three vehicles received FPN (fixed penalty notice) tickets for obstructing the pavement. Vehicles parked in this way make it impossible for wheelchairs and strollers to pass safely.”

Members of the public volunteered at several locations in Huddersfield where pavement parking was an ongoing threat. One woman branded the drivers “lazy” and “selfish” and said their behavior meant pedestrians had to walk on the road.

One man, commenting on social media, said: “Why don’t you go all the way to Crosland Moor just below Thewlis Lane – double parking and obstructing the footpath. People struggle to get past them, without a cart.”

Another said the St Thomas’ Road junction at Longroyd Bridge was also a good place to catch drivers obstructing the pavement. Others said the “top end” of Halifax Old Road and outside McDonald’s in Huddersfield town centre.

One man said he had seen drivers “dumping” their cars on double yellow lines or next to traffic lights to collect their takeaways.

Recent crackdowns on pavement obstructions have taken place in Crosland Moor, Holmfirth (Woodhead Road), St Thomas’ Road at Lockwood, Beaumont Park and Thornton Lodge (Springdale Street). A woman invited police to visit Cornmill Lane in Liversedge. One man called the drivers “selfish ignorant fools”.

Councilor Jo Lawson, who represents Crosland Moor and Netherton, welcomed the crackdown by West Yorkshire Police. In her ward, Blackmoorfoot Road, off Balmoral Avenue, is a particularly problematic location for poor parking.

“In Crosland Moor and Netherton we have problems with this type of anti-social parking, particularly on Blackmoorfoot Road,” she said.

“I regularly get complaints about pavement parking there and around the post office; drivers parking on double yellow lines and zigzag lines. Again, Kirklees parking authorities attend as often as they can, but lack of resources means this is not always the case. A targeted approach over a period of one month would certainly help to solve most of the problems.”

Members of the public can submit an online report to West Yorkshire Police about nuisance/obstructive parking. The link to the online form can be found here

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