Furious grandmother 'stuck in her home' after council workers paint a parking space across her driveway
Bay was painted in front of Val Mason's drive in Wheatley, South Yorkshire
Council tells Mrs Mason, 75, she should call police if anyone parks there
Grandmother relies on her car to carry out her job as a church warden
Parking restrictions put in place to help neighbours living near hospital
A furious grandmother says she is stuck in her home after council workers painted a parking space across her driveway.
Val Mason, 75, fears she will become a prisoner in her home after the bay was installed in front of the drive in Wheatley, South Yorkshire, where her blue Fiat Punto is parked.
And when the grandmother-of-five complained to the council she was told that she should call the police if anyone leaves their car in the spot.
Bays and double yellow lines were marked on the road as part of the introduction of residents' only parking restrictions to prevent staff at a nearby hospital parking in the street.
Mrs Mason's home is the only house in the street with a dropped kerb, which she thinks confused planners.
Council chiefs say drivers should know it is illegal to park in front of a driveway but Mrs Mason, who uses her car on a daily basis and relies on it to carry out her church warden work, said she questioned why they needed the bay in the first place.
Doncaster Council says that if they bay was replaced with a double yellow line it would stop Mrs Mason, or her guests, from parking there should she want to.
'I have been in touch with the council constantly since the parking scheme was announced to flag this up,' she said.
'They sent out letters in advance showing the plans for the street which were all colour-coded.
'I noticed straight away that the bay was planned to go right across my driveway so I applied for I-bars to be painted there.
'Mine is the only driveway on the street with double gates and a dropped kerb and everybody else parks behind the houses.'
Mrs Mason and her neighbours had been in favour of a residents' parking permit system after experiencing problems with visitors and staff from Doncaster Royal Infirmary park on the street.
They had opted for the parking bays and double yellow lines to be painted around the corners of the street.
However, despite Mrs Mason raising the issue, council workmen turned up on May 21 to paint the new parking bay.
Mrs Mason said: 'I couldnt believe it when the workmen just turned up and started painted the bay right outside my driveway.
'I was really angry about it. It’s like talking to yourself trying to get through to them.
'The council said no one would park there once they saw the driveway but if there’s a parking bay of course they will.
'They advised me to ring the police if anyone did park there and they would be moved on but its a bit late by that point.
'I’m worried Ill be a prisoner in my own home. I rely on the car to get out and about.
'Sometimes with my church warden work I get a phone call at short notice so I need access to my car.
'There’s just no common sense.'
Director of regeneration and environment at Doncaster Council, Peter Dale said: 'For many years, concerns have been raised about all day parking associated with the hospital in nearby residential areas.
'After detailed consultation on potential options to help with this situation, a residents’ priority parking scheme is currently being introduced, which will remove all day parking by non-residents and therefore free up valuable road space for residents themselves.
'This requires the provision of parking bays and signing.
'It is an offence to block access to a property and the scheme does not change this.
'If we were to put yellow lines outside the property then neither the owner or their visitors could park in front of the driveway.
'The scheme will be monitored and the council will be happy to look at individuals’ concerns and consider painting an "I-bar" road marking in front of the driveway.'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2649414/Furious-grandmother-stuck-home-council-workers-paint-parking-space-driveway.html
