My council came up with a “quirky” parking solution – it doesn’t make sense

One DAD was shocked to see his council had come up with what he called a “bizarre” parking solution.

Ian Hodgson, 49, said he even had to stop and take a picture when he discovered the council had partially painted parking spaces on the footpath.

4

4

The Lancashire father-of-two saw the offbeat parking solution while driving into town with his wife to do some shopping.

And she was startled when he suddenly stopped and jumped out of the car, phone in hand.

Cars that had scaled the curb to access the car parks could be seen lining the roadside – but Ian thought it would be difficult for mobility scooters and wheelchairs to use the footpath.

Ian told The Sun Online: “It was such a bizarre thing – I don’t know how long it’s been like this.

“It’s just unusual, isn’t it, that the council is encouraging people to park on the way.

“I can not comprehend that.”

Little did Ian know that the Blackburn parking bays were legislated with Darwen Borough Council.

And they are scattered on many streets throughout the city.

The 49-year-old said: “The bizarre thing is that it’s just a little bit away from a medical centre. It’s a main route.”

Ian said he walks to work every day and gets upset when people block sidewalks and bike lanes.

He added: “I was in disbelief. I get very upset when I see this.

“It grabs me a bit.”

Martin Eden, the city council’s strategic director for environment and operations, said the parking lots had been set up and distributed across the city for two years.

Mr Eden told The Sun Online: “These markings, which allow partial pavement parking, have been at this location on Haslingden Road for two years and allow for more efficient parking and maintain a busy and vital route to the Royal Blackburn Hospital and to Junction 5 of the M65 free and unhindered.

“These types of markings are allowed by law, and we also have several other locations within the county that have these types of parking spaces.

“They’re sized to have enough space for mobility scooters, wheelchairs, and strollers to get by on the sidewalk.”

The council did not answer questions about whether it had received any complaints about the parking lots.

4

4