Yellow peril on York's streets

City of York Council wants to clamp down on city centre parking and fine motorists who leave their cars in areas such as Parliament Street and Coney Street, where parking is banned before 9pm.

But unless visible no-parking signs are combined with yellow lines painted on the road, the council cannot force people to pay their parking tickets.

At the Guildhall on Tuesday, members of the council's executive will discuss proposals to paint the lines in Parliament Street, Coney Street, Spurriergate and Davygate.

Coun Ann Reid, the executive member for planning and transport, said it was a question of balancing the need to preserve the city's appearance and promoting road safety.

She said: "People have not been allowed to park on those streets for years, but quite often there are lines and lines of cars parked there on an evening.

"It can be difficult for the emergency services to fit in between the cars.

"The lines will be a paler yellow to the traditional garish yellow lines. I suspect they will have an effect, but there is a clear road safety issue that has to be looked at."

Labour councillor Janet Looker feared the lines would harm the city's appearance.

"Our city centre needs to be treated sensitively.

"It is no good making a lot of noise about the attractions of our city centre if the council then covers it in yellow lines.

"The look and feel of the foot streets plays an important part in attracting people into our city centre, whether they live in York or are here for a visit."

Her Labour colleague Coun Brian Watson, said: "We have a city centre which at its best is truly charming. Yellow lines all over the foot streets will do nothing to enhance the centre and will, I believe, really spoil its character."

Next week's meeting will also discuss proposals to extend charges at council car parks into the evening and to raise the price of residents' parking permits, possibly to £104.

Updated: 10:54 Friday, December 12, 2003