Plans to wipe out on-street parking for a chunk of a Leamington industrial estate have been approved by Warwickshire County Council despite a mixed reaction.

Double yellow lines are set to be installed on most sections of Hawkes Drive, Collins Road, and Harriott Drive, which are currently free for vehicles to park on, in order to improve visibility and access, particularly for lorries and larger vehicles transporting goods to and from the area.

A public consultation garnered 28 responses – 17 against and 11 in support – but the plans were among those to be given the green light by the county's political lead on highways Cllr Jennifer Warren last week. 

The lines will cover the junctions and entrances to businesses and while they will leave minimal areas available for parking on straight sections, they have also been designed to prevent vehicles from parking on both sides of the road. 

Businesses, whose details were redacted by the council, responded to a public consultation.

A number of them called for a better solution, accusing one business of hogging existing space and claiming that this proposal will only make matters worse.

One wrote: "Whilst initially double yellow lines may seem to be a solution, it would only be short term. 

"At the weekend whilst most of the businesses on the Heathcote Industrial Estate are closed, the one business that is causing the parking issue uses this opportunity to manoeuvre his vehicles around the estate, taking up most of the available spaces and even parking on the grass verge.

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"If double yellow lines were introduced, he would then proceed to take whatever limited spaces would remain which, in turn, would mean that when everyone else returned to work on Monday morning that there would be absolutely nowhere for anyone else to park.

"A long-term alternative parking deterrent needs to be proposed which stops any one business monopolising all available parking."

The perceived unfairness of restrictions in these sections but not others plus the impact on firms were also raised.

Others suggested that bollards or speed limits could be used to help but supportive comments backed the need for the plans. 

One firm wrote: "Sometimes our delivery vehicles are unable to turn onto the delivery drive causing us to get a non-delivery fine from the couriers also delaying our production.

"This is very unsafe when pulling out of the driveway when you have large vans parked either side, we have seen many accidents and had our wall knocked down twice.

"Pedestrians walk in the road because they are unable to walk on the path and this is very dangerous on a very busy industrial estate."

Responding to the objections, the council's report, authored by senior traffic engineers Phil Mitton and Graham Stanley, insisted the plans were "to protect the junctions and access".

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"It is appreciated that there may be vehicles displaced to adjacent roads, however, access for emergency vehicles overrides this concern," it continued. 

"Comments regarding the effect on local businesses have been considered. However, the proposed design has been developed following complaints of vehicles parking obstructively along proposed roads. 

"The proposals to introduce double yellow lines are to limit the effect that parked vehicles have on visibility at the junctions and other areas along the road to minimise obstruction and safety for the wider community."