PARKING restrictions are set to be enforced on the streets around Hartford railway station with nowhere else close by to park.


Parking around the area has been an issue for months as more people are commuting from the station and the station’s car park is not big enough to accommodate.
 

Double yellow lines will be painted on sections of the A559 Chester Road, parts of Fullterton Road and The Crescent and will be enforced from Friday, April 11, with no alternative places to park being given.


Single yellow lines, where drivers cannot park between 8am and 6pm, are also being introduced on other parts of Fullerton Road.


Chris Lane, Owner of The Coachman, which is directly across the road from Hartford backs the double yellow lines but says a better alternative than park further away must be made.


Chris said: “It annoys me when people dump their cars on our car park and then take themselves off to London or somewhere for the weekend on the train and that kind of thing is likely to happen more often now.


“I completely agree that cars shouldn’t be allowed to park on the surrounding streets particularly the main road because it’s only a matter of time before an accident happens.


“Kids are coming off the station and into the road from behind parked cars so it is really dangerous at the minute, but you can’t put in parking restrictions without creating somewhere else to park.


“It’s obvious that the station’s car park needs to be made bigger but it just doesn’t seem like that is even being considered as an option.”


Trials were undertaken in March and November last year with sections of the roads coned off instead of the double yellow lines.


However, permanent double yellow lines will mean that commuters will have to look for a long term alternative to where they park their car, meaning a further walk to the station.
 

Jo O’Donoghue, Hartford parish town clerk, said: “The plans have been being carefully planned for a while now and the parish council is completely behind the decision to bring in the parking restrictions around the station.”