This is a summary of input from residents. While they were specifically asked about parking restrictions, other comments on traffic issues were also returned.
28th July 2023
- Brook End (general concern for access for farm vehicles, fire engines and the milk lorry):
- Double yellow lines (“DYL”) down both sides of Brook End between the Cross and the very beginning of the junction with Boot Hill. “Obviously Boot patrons need somewhere to park, the problem arises when the whole stretch of road is taken by parked cars and so becomes essentially a single lane. I think tactful yellow lines opposite the Boot …, and near the farm entrance would allow traffic to flow without stopping people parking. (The wide bit of road opposite the boot is usually used as such a passing point, but sometimes people park there hence the suggestion of yellow lines there if that makes sense)”
DCC Reply: I can see we are effectively talking about a 65m stretch of carriageway between the junction with ‘The Cross’ and Boot Hill. Boot Hill is already subject to a single yellow timed restriction which applies for its full length, both sides from Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6pm. We have recently introduced waiting restrictions through double yellow lines around the junction of Milton Road, Brook End and Monsom Lane to help provide junction clearance and visibility due to historic issues here.
I can see that the Boot and Shoe has a car park, albeit a significantly reduced one in terms of size from its outside provisions it has in place to the rear. I would expect most of its patrons are regular local people within walking distance but accept some passing trade and outside visitors will occur and therefore likely attend by motor vehicle. However, the responsibility is on the motorist to park within a safe and appropriate location, not just within as close proximity as they physically can.
I can see that people have the scope subject to the time of day to access via a motor vehicle, Main Street, or the Cross via either Brook End or Boot Hill.
People already effectively park daily within the junction extents in front of the properties No’s 6 and 4, as they appear to have no off-road parking for these properties and therefore, I suspect the vehicles here on a regular basis are the residents and their visitors, so any attempt to reduce the space to park would be met with vociferous objection. I can see that No.8 has a driveway, which can accommodate two vehicles, but parking occurs above this access. From a road safety perspective, we don’t have an identified personal injury collision problem, or any reported access difficulties for Refuse Collection from SDDC or Emergency Services access, therefore it is not something we can support for the above reasons.
- Single yellow for around 24m alongside the school wall opposite the junction with Boot Hill
DCC Reply: From the suggestion the concerns around parking are not a consistent one, with the suggestion being for a timed restriction. Again, some of my comments above would be pertinent to this item as well in terms of the displacement and residential impact. I can only envisage from the local environment that the parking being generated all stems from a successful business, the Pub as there is not other commercial or business interests near this location, other than residential on-street demands and their visitors.
Whilst double parking at the junction vicinity would make the road tight through the gap, it does effectively as you have alluded to a one-way passage, that keeps vehicle speeds at a lower level. There is legal difference between a tight gap (passible with care) and physical obstruction of the highway, for which the Police are responsible to deal with. I don’t have any reported issues from either the Force HQ or the Local SNT about parking issues here either.
- Double yellow for the rest on the north side (along the school wall), including the stretch opposite 14 Brook End which is now a makeshift car park.
DCC Reply: In terms of promoting long lengths of parking restrictions through Brook End, outside of the issues already touched upon in item 1.1 and 1.2 you have a road here which has a straight alignment with good forward visibility, this may lead to evidenced examples that you will see an increase in vehicle speeds as the parking whilst frustrating at times does keep vehicle speeds significantly reduced, and therefore not something I would support from a road safety perspective.
In respect of the area beyond the road edge outside the Cricket Club access gate, bridge, and farm track (opposite No.14) these may well be outside of the highway boundary, and therefore I have asked for an extents plan to show the highway boundary as I suspect it might be land which resides within the ownership of a third party. Therefore, if its outside of the highway boundary then that is not something that DCC has any control over I am afraid.
- Single yellow on the south side near Milton Road for maybe 5m outside Nr. 28 so that the morning traffic gets a better sight line coming from Milton. There is already a double yellow on the corner itself. “Brook end/monsom lane/ milton road corner, far too many park too close to the corner and it’s sketchy with a trailer on a pickup let alone a tractor and trailer going through there.” “Double yellow lines are needed along both sides of junction of Milton Road and Monsom Lane. Cars parked too close to the corner block visibility for cars turning right into Monsom Lane.”
DCC Reply: When the TRO for the restrictions were promoted, I don’t recall a request for the markings to be extended at the consultation stage. I am not sure about the comment relating to a 5m (car length) of new single yellow line restriction would be suitable, as it’s an occasional issue during the day at some times this would suggest? In addition, the alignment of the road and the proximity of the property boundary to the footway edge impacts on forward visibility regardless of any restrictions being in place. In addition, I can see that the residents of No.26 have no off-road parking, and therefore this would impact them along with the evidenced need for on-road parking here where it is consistently occurring.
- One or two stretches of single yellow on the south side between Nr.s 22 and 10 to allow passing places in the morning rush hour. Especially to allow access to the farm.
DCC Reply: I am afraid the farmer cannot be coning out ‘reserving parts of the highway’ for private use, this is not possible or permitted within the law I am afraid and therefore these actions cannot take place. I will pass this to the local SNT for them to investigate and act accordingly upon these activities. I can appreciate that parking opposite the farm access lane can make manoeuvring difficult, however it is not the responsibility of the highway authority to promote waiting restrictions to enhance what is a private access arrangement, as with homeowners and business owners the onus is on any of them to modify any access arrangements within their respective curtilage, subject to any necessary planning approvals being obtained.
The provision within the law is that if you are physically obstructed from exiting your access be that a driveway or track you can either contact the Police or the Civil Enforcement Officers to attend and address the issue. I am afraid neither will attend if you cannot gain access onto your land from the highway, the Police advice now is that you park elsewhere and return when any obstruction has left, I can appreciate this might be an issue for a business and its operations, but this is the Police position regarding these matters.
- Pinfold Lane opposite the entrance to Wystan Court
DCC Reply: I can see that No’s 37-41 Pinfold Close are all properties with no off-road parking to them. I can see that two of the properties have handrails provided to the steps at the properties which may indicate that the properties occupy vulnerable road users who need assistance to and from the highway level to the property. Therefore, may appreciate the ability to park within proximity to their homes, albeit it does appear there is some communal parking / garages off Pinfold Lane, but I don’t profess to know what these private arrangements are in terms of allocated usage.
Not sure what the issue is with any on road parking, as the junction splay of Wystan Court is wide to allow access through the location. We don’t receive any reported concerns about parking in this location.
- High Street:
- “Outside the Spar shop to stop them unloading and backing the traffic up to Willington 😡”
DCC Reply: I can appreciate the issues that can be caused when the Spar Shop is receiving deliveries and collections, however from the street layout and access arrangements to the premises I don’t know what can be realistically achieved to address this. You see the law allows for vehicles to perform legitimate loading and unloading on either SYL or DYL restrictions. To prevent this requires a loading ban to be placed alongside the parking restriction as is the case with the SYL outside of the shop frontage. Therefore, such a prohibitive restriction would potentially place the business at risk of closure, as to generate a situation where the vehicle is parked away from the premises would generate manual handling issues and weights of goods etc for the delivery teams. Unfortunately, it is a situation where a business operates in a location which has a significant number of constraints, but from a highways perspective we cannot make any changes to address this without the above repercussions for what I suspect is a well-used and valued local amenity.
- Outside St Wystan’s school. Just one car there causes traffic to slow and back up in both directions.
“The only concern I have with reducing parking is where people will park their cars. Living opposite St Wystans, the number of times over the years parents just park on the driveways and walk their kids to school is plentiful, sometimes even when there’s space outside the school. People don’t have any consideration anymore. I’ve had people park on my drive over the years to go to the shop!”
DCC Reply: If the parking is contained within the existing Single Yellow Line restriction, which applies Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6pm, then this applies during the school day, and therefore if they are leaving their vehicles, it is an enforcement issue for the Civil Parking Enforcement officers to address. The comments pertaining to the parking activities of parents at school times is one which I receive regularly outside almost every school in the County, and it does effectively come down to parental attitudes and personal responsibility for their actions.
- “At the corner of Askew Grove and High Street, going past the village hall and car park. Parking there is horrendous during term times.”
DCC Reply: Again, if the parking is associated with the school during the applicable times that the Single Yellow restriction applies it is an enforcement issue for the Civil Enforcement Officers. The Police do have the option if they so wish to address this through dangerous or obstructive parking irrespective of the civil parking implications.
- Around the Bull’s Head. Residents’ parking spaces too? “For Richmond Court residents, it’s really blind turning onto high st when the cars outside the chip shop park beyond the marked off area whilst at the same time customers from the Bulls Head, park on the single yellows right in front of the pub. You have to rely on people giving way to you and when they’re speeding…..”
DCC Reply: I can see that Richmond Court does have a Protective Entrance marking which highlights the extent of their vehicular crossing, along with the supplementary signs on the boundary wall of Richmond Court. I am aware of the popularity of the Bulls Head and that at times their car parking is exceeded by the demand it generates, we have similar situations at their other sites across the County. Unfortunately, this is not a highways related issue, and one more around planning consents and conditions that would be best answered by South Derbyshire District Council.
Again, the Mulberry Beauty Salon, Repton Fryers and Bi Architecture all appear to have no off-road parking provisions and so for the customers which attend by motor vehicle will park on High Street or at an available space in the road to attend their business activities, outside of the staff which attend their place of employment by the motor vehicle as well.
If vehicles are displacing from the Bulls Head to the frontage after 6pm then they are permitted to utilise the road space as the single yellow restriction does not apply. Aside from the local economy implications we don’t provide waiting restrictions to protect or enhance a private access arrangement, as Richmond Court has the same principle applied as it would with a private singular access.
If there are speeding concerns along High Street, then the Parish Council have the options to contact the Police via the SNT to raise their concerns and request attention/enforcement. The possibility of utilising Community Speed Watch along the road through the PC and SNT, or alternatively the SIDS project that is being run which Repton Parish Council can actively get involved with and which could allow the device to be installed along High Street if this is a local area of concern.
- Bull’s Head custom now exceeded the car parking provision (both the pub car park and on street parking). “The pub customers have got to park somewhere, which means that double yellow lines will just move them to the side streets.”
DCC Reply: this is effectively what I have alluded to / referenced above in item 3.4, when a business becomes an attractive proposition and delivers an excellent service and quality it will attract people from further afield, and often as repeat/regular visitors. I am afraid the High Street is an ideal displacement location for patrons of the Bulls Head when the car park provision is full, and as its public highway it presents opportunity for anyone to utilise the road space if its available, which can at times be at the detriment to others.
- High Street around the Pinfold Lane junction “From Samaras up to the bulls head is a nightmare countless times I’ve pulled out of pinfold lane and met cars hurtling through coming from Swadlincote because of cars parked on the corner outside samaras”
DCC Reply: Again, from what I can see Samaras does not have any off-road parking provision for its staff or visitors, and therefore people must take to parking on the road, where no restrictions are applicable, and allows this business the opportunity to accommodate staff and visitors and continue to function effectively within the community. If vehicles are approaching from the Swadlincote direction at what is felt to be excessive speed then as with the above, it would be a spot for the CSW, Police enforcement or another suitable site for utilisation within the SIDS project.
- Askew Grove
- “Corners of Brookside close if school parents won’t be able to park at the village hall just to stop parking right on the junction. Agree with both ends of Askew Grove comments.”
DCC Reply: I am not party to what informal arrangements are for school parking within the Village Hall. I will say that we would not want to be introducing parking restrictions around the junction of Brookside Close and Askew Grove for what is a short-term issue with parental parking for an hour a day, Monday to Friday, term time only. I suspect on a more regular all year-round basis some attendees to the Maple Tree Café and Village Hall for events may take to parking on-street if the car park is fully occupied and outside of what I can see is some residential displacement from multi-vehicle occupancy properties as well.
From looking at the comment regarding both ends of the Grove, I will say that we did some accessibility improvements to the junction with Springfield Road, which makes it an offence within Civil Parking legislation to park within the dropped kerb extents. I will also state that to promote DYL around this junction would keep it clear, but it does not resolve the parental parking issue outside schools as often parents sit in the vehicle (particularly in inclement weather periods) and therefore would drive off and circulate if an officer was seen in attendance, so they are rarely effective restrictions outside of schools for these reasons.
- At the top near High St. Extend the existing single yellow lines, both sides.
DCC Reply: I can see that there is some on-street parking which takes place adjacent to the NHS Health Centre, albeit it has a car park with ample spaces available, you often find people migrating to the road when the car park is full, or that it allows them access to the building at a more level arrangement and so park immediately adjacent these access points on Askew Grove.
We do have the junction protected in the form of a single yellow restriction, which applies Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6pm, which I suspect is the same times or within the period that the NHS centre operates. I would say that even if we were to consider extending the SYL to say the car park, a blue badge holder can legitimately park on the restriction for up to a period of 3 hours (ample time for an appointment here) which may be the case if the occupier has restricted mobility and accesses the site from the top-level footpath.
I think the current 15m lengths of SYL do provide space for vehicles to enter the junction and see beyond the parking if it’s clear to continue their journey.
- Tanners Lane “There’s various pinch points along [Tanners Lane] where either people park on one side and block the road or they double park and we cannot get through. Allowing [the School] to build those two houses on the car park a few years ago worsened things. To be fair to the school when you can contact them they are very fast at getting things moved, but outside of office hours it’s very difficult. It’s not even just on event days it’s regular. Speech day is a complete nightmare. They just cannot keep treating Tanners Lane as a car park.”
DCC Reply: This appears to be an issue for SDDC Planning and the School Management to resolve with the landowners seeking some access assurances.
- Well Lane – all. Also, visibility for cars exiting drives & tight exits.
DCC Reply: I assume this is in reference to parking along the lane? As above and previous we will not consider waiting restrictions to protect or enhance private access arrangements.
- 3 to 9 Milton Road “The yellow lines have made it more difficult to park and speeded up traffic flow. My car has had its mirror hit twice as has next door’s car.”
“A continuation of double yellows on Milton Road up to the lay bye.” i.e. from Monsom Lane up to number 9 Milton Road on the east side and from Brook End up to Walnut House on the west side.
DCC Reply: Was this representation made at the time when the TRO was formally advertised? I can check with a member of my team if required. Not sure the residents of No.3/5 and 7 Milton Road would welcome parking restrictions outside their frontage when they have no off-road parking provisions. The provision of these long extensions would have provided a clear straight alignment of Milton Road clear of parking and potentially to encourage an increase in vehicle speeds. The historic SLOW markings are an indication that previous representation was made to the Council that speeds of vehicles was an issue in the past, particularly on the downhill gradient.
I appreciate that the road narrows from No.1/3 such that the residents are taking it upon themselves to park half on the footway and half on the carriageway, but there is little the County Council can do to address this lack of space and off-road parking provision. However, to extend the restrictions to the lengths/distances suggested will provide a significant clear run of road with no physical presence of vehicles to slow speeds and require give and take at times.
- Both sides of the Pastures adjacent to the High Street: “At the bottom of the Pastures, as people park almost down to the junction with High Street, making it very difficult to exit or enter the Pastures.”
DCC Reply: There is future potential to provide junction protection here in the form of DYL if parking is a frequent/daily issue at this location. We could install say 15m lengths both sides of The Pastures, and then 10m on High Street either side of the junction.
- Speeding
- “I live just off the high street. Opposite my entrance are parking bays. Cars coming at speed – often 50 miles an hour, automatically come to the wrong side of the road [around the cars in the bays]. How I haven’t been hit as I’m turning out is a miracle! I also think that 20 miles an hour with cameras would help deter car speeders!”
DCC Reply: If the resident has a speeding concern, they need to contact the Police with a view to them carrying out some enforcement of the existing 30mph limit. You can raise these concerns with your local SNT or via CREST (https://www.crestderbyshire.org/about-us/report-speeding-concerns/) A further option would be for SIDS project to have the 30mph electronic signs in situ along potentially a number of locations in the High Street. We will not be introducing cameras as this is a project consideration led primarily on personal injury collision history for which the High Street at Repton does not have evidenced. Again, I would add that cameras are a consideration for the CREST team as well.
In terms of 20mph Speed Limits, I am not sure that considering a lower limit in these circumstances would achieve the desired outcome when concerns are already being expressed about compliance of the 30mph limit. I can assure you that experience shows that lowering a speed limit does not necessarily achieve compliance. Therefore, here I think its best on the Police enforcing the current 30mph if it’s evidenced that they have excessive speeds through Repton.
- Speed along Milton Road between Milton & Repton in the mornings (term times).
DCC Reply: Milton Road on leaving Milton becomes National Speed Limit (60mph) and is the correct speed limit for this road’s environment and characteristics as per the framework in the legislation. A speed limit is not a target speed and people should drive for the environment they are in and address any hazards such as tight bends at a sensible speed, the Speed Limit is the limit applied to that road for its layout and characteristics and not what people should drive it at.
The gateway for the 30mph at Repton is clear and evident of the change in the limit and was done as part of the relocation works for the development adjacent this site.
If there are concerns that vehicles are exceeding the 60mph and then entering the 30mph gateways at either end in excessive speed, then they need to raise these concerns with the Police as the enforcement authority.
Shift the school bus stop from the bottom end of Springfield Road?
DCC Reply: I assume this refers to the bus stop on Springfield Road, outside No. 11A? I can see that the accessibility platform for this bus stop has been in situ at this location for a significant number of years, certainly from what I can see the last 10 years. I can see that in the intervening years the frontage to No.11A has had modifications with the removal of the boundary gate and hedge and the entire frontage converted to hard standing. However, they have maintained the same vehicular crossing arrangement that has been historically at the property for many more years, therefore I can see that the bus stop in its existing format is not affecting any accessibility concerns. Therefore, I am unsure as to why it needs moving. A possible option if parking for the school is an issue, we could introduce a bus stop clearway marking which could run from the boundary of No.11a/15 back over the driveway of No.11A/11 and potentially No.9, which would then prohibit any vehicle from parking within the stop extents. If this is something that is an issue, we can arrange for these works to be carried out.
“If only yellow lines made a difference ! They are frequently ignored ! The Highway Code clearly identifies certain restrictions which the law states No Parking and therefore do not require yellow lines. On a bend for instance. But the law is ignored all the time. The junction on High Street/Main Street and Pinfold Lane is an example. I wish there was an answer. I sometimes wonder why the Highway Code is still printed ! ? !”
“Have as many yellow lines as you want – who is going to monitor, enforce and issue tickets – last traffic enforcer seen before Covid. Parish council needs to be responsible for issuing tickets etc,”
DCC Reply: I can appreciate the final comment is more a statement, however I will say that should you feel you have issues with contraventions of existing parking restrictions in Repton, then please contact my colleague Suzanne Cross on etc.parking@derbyshire.gov.uk to discuss your concerns around levels of enforcement in Repton.
I will say the comment regarding ignorance is one which is becoming ever more frequently stated across not just Derbyshire but other Highway Authorities in the UK, where people don’t have the fear of being prosecuted/fined for parking and motoring related offences such as speeding, as they feel the chances of being apprehended are minimal.
There is also since 2008 in Derbyshire two bodies of enforcement in terms of Civil Enforcement through the Council relating to static parking offences with restrictions or over vehicular crossings and dropped kerbs for example. Whilst moving offences such as speeding, weight limit breaches, contravening pedestrian zones, one-way orders and banned turns remain a moving traffic offence that the Police are responsible for enforcing. You then have offences such as parking on footways causing an obstruction or perceived danger that the Police can deal with along with for example, they deem parking too close to a junction, irrespective of the road having no restrictions such as DYL they can act still if they so wish.