ANTI-PARKING measures installed in a York street have been described as a “botched-job” after bollards were fitted so far apart that cars could park between them.

Acomb ward councillor Tracy Simpson-Laing said the bollards in Iver Street were “as much use as a chocolate fireguard” after residents showed her how a people-carrier vehicle could comfortably park between them.

Coun Simpson-Laing, of the York Labour Group, said she had asked City of York Council to put double-yellow lines down the street last year after residents complained the road was too narrow to allow large vehicles through when cars were parked there.

However, the council painted only ten metres of yellow lines, prompting a petition from residents asking for further restrictions, including bollards to stop drivers parking on the path.

“The bollards have now been installed but they are so far apart you can park a people-carrier in between them and still have room for a Smart car,” said Coun Simpson-Laing.

“This is incredible. It was a rush job at the end of the financial year that was not done properly. “It is the Highways Department’s fault that this job is a mess and the department’s responsibility to sort it out. Rather than solve the problem, it has created nice parking bays for motorists.

“It’s rather embarrassing, to be frank.

“Residents tell me that they have given up believing the council knows what it is doing concerning this problem, and feel utterly let down once again.”

She said she had been told by the council that the job is completed and that it was up to the ward committee to find extra money to rectify the problem. “Ward committee budgets are not for making-good botched jobs that should have been completed correctly in the first place,” she said.

A City of York Council spokeswoman said: “This scheme was requested and paid for by the local ward committee.

“The ward committee had limited funding available so we installed what we could with what was available.

“We could look at augmenting the scheme if the ward committee makes additional funding available.

“However, in the meantime, we will monitor the situation to determine how bad the parking problems are.”