Warning over parking tickets in Market Place

Shoppers are being warned over “conflicting” parking signs in Caistor Market Place on Wednesdays, after 17 tickets were apparently issued in one day.

Local businessman Rick Sandham issued the warning at the public forum of Caistor Town Council last night (Thursday, April 13, 2017).

When time-limited parking was introduced in the Market Place, a small market was still held there every Wednesday and Saturday. Shoppers were prohibited from parking in the spaces near the Lion statue to allow stallholders to set up in the area.

However, the stallholders have since pulled out from trading on Wednesdays, leading to confusion as to whether the parking prohibition still applies.

Mr Sandham said the situation was “ridiculous” and said a personal appeal to the ticketing officer had not been successful.

He had not been ticketed personally but was concerned about how the situation could affect pensioners and the town’s trade.

People were reminded that parking is still prohibited until 6pm on Saturdays, even though stallholders usually pack up during the early afternoon.

The validity of the tickets issued, in the light of “conflicting” signs, remains unclear, despite attempts by Town Clerk Helen Pitman to establish whether they could be waived on appeal.

Cllr Deborah Barker suggested the council “should attach the urgency to removing the (confusing) sign”.

However, the council was told it did not have the legal power to cover the sign and that efforts to remove it must go through the proper channels.

Mayor Carol Mackenzie told Mr Sandham the councillors were aware of the situation and efforts to resolve it were continuing. Lincolnshire County Councillor Tony Turner is also working with Ms Pitman to resolve the issue, she added.

5 Comments

  1. Carol Barnes

    Parking continues to be a problem because there is a need for another car park perhaps as suggested in Mill Lane ex Council depot
    The time restriction seems to have worked well now the Grammar School senior pupils no longer park there but this Wednesday issue needs sorting quickly and perhaps the upper time on Saturday reducing to 4 pm

    Reply
    1. Alex Awolaja

      The Grammmar school pupils now park down Church and Chapel steeet leaving residents there nowhere to park. My 86 year old grandparents live down there and their drive is partially blocked most days by inconsiderate pupils.
      My dad got a ticket several days ago as he had to try and pull in front of the drive but not enough gap was left so he was too far from the kerb when he had to rush to help my grandad.
      Parking in the Market Place and surrounding streets is poor.

      Reply
  2. H Grant

    We were in the Market Place whilst the incident was going on. It is a farcical situation that residents are being penalised for parking in bays reserved for a non existent market! It is disgraceful that 17 people have been fined for NO reason – a truly Monty Python situation! Well done Rick for taking it up! It could make the national papers it is so ridiculous. How about passing it on Shona!

    Reply
  3. Duncan Peddie

    But now the grammar school pupils are choking up Chapel Street and Church Street! Caistor desperately needs adequate parking in order to attract more visitors otherwise this issue will just get worse and worse. Less talk, more action!

    Reply
  4. Jonathan Holt

    The parking in the Market Place is a shambles. The bays are too small to park in and open your door to get out. Cars are bigger now and the Town council reduces the size of the bay from standard to a still legal minimum “to get more spaces in”. What’s the point if you can’t park in a row and lose alternate bays?? Technically the wardens can book you for any part of the car which OVERHANGS the marked bay. This is a nationwide rule but in Caistor we get a dispensation from LCC Highways but visitors may not be aware of that and move on to a town with “friendly, standard bays” where they Know the rules. Having looked at the signage produced by the Town council over the years I for one am still unclear as to whether the No parking on Wed and Sat refers to the Whole market place area i.e everywhere. There is also a 2hr restriction and the stalls are at the bottom corner outside the chemist – because the 2 High level signs in that area do not mention any specific area just the Market Place. This applies to the temporary signs put out on Saturdays as well. Are we allowed to park on the Top Half of the Market Place on a Saturday or not ? – Who knows what the Town Council mean?

    Reply

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