Double yellow lines painted on park access road by mistake in council gaffe
When are yellow lines not yellow lines? When they have been painted by mistake.
Cradley residents were furious when they realised an access road through Homer Hill Park had been plastered with yellow paint.
Benjamin Drive is a controversial road anyway, being built for the construction of the Midland Heart retirement village in the middle of the park.
Conservative Cradley and Wollescote Councillor Natalie Neale celebrated when she saw the yellow lines.
She posted pictures on Facebook and said: "After more than three years of campaigning for local residents, I am pleased the double yellow lines are now completed on Benjamin Drive.
"The safety concerns were paramount and the parking on verges, causing damage and subsidence and the double parking was causing obstructions for emergency vehicle access."
However, within days residents started receiving emails from Dudley Council admitting the lines had been painted "in error".
Labour Councillor Richard Body now sees the funny side of the yellow lines, having been furious when first told.
He said: "We spend so long asking Dudley Council to paint yellow lines in various places across the ward and borough and they go and paint them in the wrong place.
"There is absolutely no need for yellow lines on Benjamin Drive, I was at the park recently and there were so many people, with their families using the park whilst parking on the road.
"Now Dudley Council have realised they have made a mistake, people need not worry about getting fined if they park on them."
He added: "What is annoying is when I was there the car park at the retirement village was totally empty, so I have written to the chief executive of Midland Heart asking them to allow park users to use their car park."
Dudley Council emailed residents: "It has been brought to our attention this morning that the lines in Benjamin Drive have been painted in error. An instruction has been sent for their removal, and the council’s parking management team advised these lines are not enforceable.”
The council has been approached by the Express & Star for comment.
