Council cancels explosion street parking fines

Derby City Council has apologised for "mistakenly" handing out parking fines to residents who parked on double yellow lines during work to demolish houses affected by a suspected gas explosion.

On Friday, several residents in Eden Street who had shifted their cars to the London Road end of the street during "complex demolition work" following the blast on 11 June found they had received penalty charge notices.

The council said the tickets had been issued because a low loader, which was on site to remove an excavator, had been blocked in by vehicles parked on double yellow lines.

The authority said any issued tickets had now been cancelled.

Among the vehicles issued with parking tickets was a van belonging to gas distribution company Cadent, which had been parked on double yellow lines while staff worked at the scene.

One Eden Street resident who lived directly opposite the explosion said she was unhappy with the council's approach.

"I park here because I am not able to park outside of my house due to the construction works closing that part of the road," she said.

"I have nowhere else to park on the street, so I think it's disgusting I have been fined."

A Derby City Council spokesperson said: "We understand that this has been a difficult and stressful period for the community, and we apologise for any additional frustration caused this morning when a small number of parking tickets were mistakenly issued.

"We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused and appreciate residents' patience and understanding throughout.

"Derby City Council, together with our partners, have worked under very challenging conditions to reopen the road as quickly and safely as possible for all residents.

"We kindly remind everyone of the importance of respecting parking restrictions, especially while contract vehicles remain onsite, to help ensure ongoing safety and progress."

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