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Prison threat for residents over parking cones

BBC Picture of a 79 year old man with silver hair and glasses, leaning on his front door frame, wearing a shirt, tie and jumper. BBC
Paul Wright says one car was parked outside his house for five weeks

A street's residents have been told they could face almost a year in prison for reserving parking spaces with cones.

Ceredigion council sent letters telling residents of Maes yr Afon, near Aberystwyth town centre, that using cones could constitute "an unnecessary obstruction of the highway".

Mair Benjamin, 79, a town councillor who lives on the street, said she needed to park close to her home for health reasons.

The council encouraged residents to buy a seasonal ticket for a nearby car park instead.

Ms Benjamin has used cones since the beginning of the year to stop drivers parking outside her house.

She said the "large" pay and display car park was empty, while Maes yr Afon and nearby Greenfield Street were "chock a block" because people "will not pay for parking".

Parking in the pay and display car parks costs £2.60 per hour, £6.60 per day or £23 a week.

A 79 year old woman sat on her sofa in her living room. Lady has a grey short bob and full fringe and is wearing glasses looking into the lens and holds the letter from the council in her left hand.
Mair Benjamin says she "cried with disillusionment" at the council's letter

All houses on Maes yr Afon received a letter from Rhodri Llwyd, the council's corporate director for highways, which read: "If a person without lawful authority or excuse in any way obstructs the free passage along a highway [they are] guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 51 weeks or a fine, or both."

Ms Benjamin said: "I could not believe how it made my chest ache - I cried with disillusionment.

"I thought they couldn't even send a letter to say, 'may we have a meeting? Can we discuss this issue? Can you get a few people together? Can we talk about this?'

"No, just 'you are causing an obstruction. You can get 51 weeks in prison and a fine'."

Two orange traffic cones on a street pavement, with bunting reading 'happy halloween' attached to them.
Residents are calling for the council to set up a permit parking system for residents

Another resident of Maes yr Afon, Paul Wright, said he used to put cones out in front of his house before he sold his car.

He said: "Whenever I moved my car I could never get back in and I was having to pay in the car park, which I thought was wrong as a resident who owned my own house, I couldn't get back in here.

"And this happened all the time."

Mr Wright and Ms Benjamin called for a residents' parking permit system for people who live on the street.

Ceredigion council said placing items on the public highway "without permission" was acting in breach of the law and an offence under Section 137 of the Highways Act 1980.

It added: "If the residents wish, then they can buy a seasonal parking ticket for the car park which is directly opposite their property."