Residents claim they weren’t consulted and the zigzag lines, which prevent anyone parking there, were an unpleasant surprise
Zigzag traffic markings directly outside a house in Merthyr Tydfil
Residents in a Welsh town are up in arms because their local council has painted yellow zigzag lines directly outside their driveways, leaving them in fear of being hit with a hefty fine simply for coming and going from their homes.
Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council painted the markings outside the new Blessed Carlo Acutis (BCA) Catholic School, which was recently built on the site of the former Bishop Hedley Catholic High School in Galon Uchaf Road, leading on from Gwaunfarren Road in Penydarren, Merthyr Tydfil.
Yellow zigzag lines are normally painted on roads outside schools, warning motorists that they must not stop, wait or park in that area. For the latest Merthyr Tydfil news, sign up to our newsletter here.
According to police.co,uk: “Most school entrances and exits in the UK have yellow zigzag road markings with the writing ‘School Keep Clear’. Zigzags can also be found at entrances and exits of hospitals, fire stations, police stations and ambulance stations. They indicate the part of the road where motorists should not wait, stop, or park a vehicle.
“Local councils can issue motorists with penalty charge notices (PCN) for waiting, stopping, or parking on yellow zigzags if restrictions are in place. These are issued by civil enforcement officers.”
One resident who lives opposite the new school in Merthyr Tydfil had quite a shock to see the yellow markings directly outside his driveway one day back in August. He claims he and his neighbours had no idea the markings were going to be painted on the road because they were not told directly by the council.
“When I saw the markings I went straight down to the council office to see what was going on and why we had not been told anything about them,” said Anthony Brown, who has lived on the street for 26 years. “They obstruct our drives because we have to stop and wait on the zigzags just to get out of our homes.
“I asked to speak to someone at the council and they said they put a notice up on the school gates, but we didn’t see it – the houses are not near the school gates.”
Mr Brown also claims the markings were painted on August 21 but that they were not officially signed off and agreed upon until a council meeting on August 24.
One concern for residents is the existence of the council’s CCTV enforcement vehicle which drives around and clocks the number plate of cars “parked illegally at zebra crossings, bus stops and zig zag markings around schools”.
Mr Brown is worried that if that vehicle is passing at the same time that he is entering or leaving his driveway in his vehicle then he may receive a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) in the post, demanding he pay up to £70 simply for leaving his home or returning to it.
“Technically that would be a traffic violation,” said Mr Brown. “They (the council) have said that because I live there they should be able to squash or reverse a penalty notice. But what about someone coming to visit, what are they meant to do?
“I have no objection to the school being built across the road, but we as residents should have at least been told about these zigzag lines. The council will not answer our questions, they just fob you off.”
In a response to Mr Brown Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council said: “A notice of intention appeared in the press on July 30. Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) notices were also put up on the site – these notices required any objections to be made to our head of legal, Geraint Morgan, by August 31. No objections were made within the statutory period – the TRO was made on August 24 and came into force on August 31.”
Regarding Mr Brown’s claim that the zigzag lines were painted before the TRO was in place, the council response added: “This is routinely the case and the markings merely enable the authority to enforce the TRO once the TRO has been made and comes into force.”
