PERMANENT parking restrictions are being considered for two residential areas of Ramsey.
One has already seen a resident raise concerns, though parked cars in the area have long caused difficulty for refuse collectors.
The Department of Infrastructure’s suggested locations for double yellow lines include at the junction of Lheaney Road with Killeaba Mount and at the junction of Westbourne Road with Westbourne Close.
At the Lheaney Road site the no waiting area would extend 18 metres from the east side of the junction and 22 metres from the west side of the junction.
On Westbourne Road the affected area is effectively the left hand side of the road leading towards Westbourne Close. It is this latter site that has provoked the most discussion.
Clerk to Ramsey Town Commissioners Peter Whiteway said that at the moment both sites are only in the consultation process.
He said from the commissioners’ perspective, if people park along Westbourne Road – which is a cul-de-sac – particularly on the bend that leads to Westbourne Close, refuse wagons aren’t able to collect bins.
In these cases, staff try to access Westbourne Close later on, or have to just leave those bins for that week.
‘We have said to the department we’d prefer to see the double yellow lines there,’ said Mr Whiteway.
‘If we can’t get up there the bins get missed. It’s not often but it does happen.’
He added: ‘The refuse wagons we use around town are quite a size, but are quite manoeuvrable. They can get out of Auckland Terrace behind the town hall. But the geometry of this particular bend means they can’t always get up Westbourne Road.’
At their December meeting, Ramsey Town Commissioners discussed objections that had been received to the proposed yellow lines along Westbourne Road.
Concerns were raised from a resident in the area that people who park their cars there presently will simply be displaced into the neighbouring roads and estates, making parking less available and potentially even devaluing properties in the area as a result.
The counter point was also raised at the meeting that if the bin wagons currently struggle to negotiate the road, there is also the concern that emergency services vehicles could also encounter difficulties, a point likely to have heavy bearing on the Department of Infrastructure’s decision whether or not to go ahead with the parking restrictions.