Holmfirth ‘pavement parkers’ warned £50 fines imposed

Drivers who block pavements have been hit with fines – but questions have been raised about the underlying causes of pavement parking.

West Yorkshire Police issued a number of tickets to motorists who blocked the pavement in the Woodhead Road area of ​​Holmfirth. The fine is £50.

The force issued a statement following the crackdown on pavement parking, which said: “On Monday 29th April, officers from NPT 1 (Neighborhood Policing Team) were advised that vehicles were causing an obstruction on Woodhead Road, Holmfirth. Tickets were issued to several vehicles that were parked blocking the sidewalk.

“Please take care when parking your vehicles on the pavement as this causes an obstruction to members of the public and is particularly dangerous for people with prams and wheelchair users.”

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After Kirklees Rural Police shared the news on Facebook, a number of people asked officers to check other streets for pavement parking, including in Golcar, Slaithwaite, Birkby, Shelley and around the John Smith’s Stadium, including Rawthorpe, on match days . In April there was a similar crackdown in Crosland Moor.

Responding to the police crackdown on kerbside parking, local councilor Charles Greaves said more parking – on and off street – and better solutions were needed for those living in narrow streets where kerbside parking is a reality. day to day, such as in Honley. and Meltham.

And he believes councils should be given more powers to solve problems facing communities. Councilor Greaves, an independent representing Holme Valley North, said Yorkshire Live: “Although people should not park on sidewalks or curbs left in some locations, this is the only place to park. What we need is more parking for all the cars we have – both on and off street.

“Anyone who obstructs a pavement can be fined for it, but they also have to think about the impact on other people, even if they are not fined. From wheelchairs to pushchairs to walker users and people carrying large bags – people need the full width of the pavement, not a small space left between a wall and a car.

“Imagine the reaction of drivers if pedestrians decided they were going to use the road instead of the sidewalk and just walked down the road, holding up traffic.

“That is why trying to bring parking charges into Honley and Meltham is a mistake. If we had additional off-street parking in the centers, we could keep the center sidewalks clear of cars.

“When it comes to housing and residential areas, I think we have to look at how the space is used. At the moment, we often have roads on both sides of the road, both of which are parked, making it difficult for pedestrians to cross. Much better to have a sidewalk on one side for people and then have the other side for parking – but it should be done in an organized way and should be enforced.

“There are dozens of streets where pavement parking is a daily fact – but we continue to ignore the underlying issues and then talk about alternatives to cars that don’t really exist.

“The Government needs to give statutory powers to all councils and then councils need to look at how to use those powers to tackle problems and make our streets work for everyone.”

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