ATTEMPTS by York transport bosses to stop vehicles parking on grass verges were undermined - by a driver working on the city council's behalf.

A scrutiny task group of City of York Councillors has been drawing up proposals to prevent grass verges being damaged by people driving on to them.

The group includes Independent Osbaldwick member Mark Warters, who said he he was amazed when he saw the car on the verge alongside Osbaldwick Beck.

“When I spoke to the driver, it turned out he was from North Yorkshire County Council, surveying the bridge over the beck leading to Beckett Drive,” he said.

“Despite there being ample space to park in Beckett Drive and in Murton Way, he chose to park on the verge - why?”

Cllr Warters said he presumed the driver was working on behalf of City of York Council, adding: “It seems rather pointless trying to prevent verge parking and damage by others when local authority workers set this type of example.”

A county council spokeswoman said the van was in use by one of its bridge engineers as it undertook a bridge management service for York council, which currently involved an inspections of all the city’s bridges.

“The engineer parked on the verge to help the flow of traffic and moved away as soon as the inspection was complete,” she said.

“As the county council’s highways officers are now aware of City of York’s campaign to put a stop to parking on verges, they will make sure this does not happen again.”

York Press:

Graham Titchener, York’s parking services manager, said: “While the law doesn’t allow local authorities to enforce parking on verges where there are no restrictions, we hold responsibility for their repair.

“We therefore remind our own staff, contractors and residents to park there only as a last resort to avoid blocking the highway.

“We work with local communities to seek solutions where verge parking is an issue and help to put in measures to avoid the need to park on them because of the risk of damaging vehicles, kerbs and grass and its impact on local communities.”

The Press has reported previously how the problem of verge parking had worsened since the number of York highways inspectors had fallen from six to two, making it harder to spot it.