New rules aim to stop Peak District parking pests

New proposals have been drawn up to tackle inconsiderate parking in part of the Peak District.

Derbyshire County Council has launched a consultation on plans to introduce restrictions on several roads in Castleton which has seen a huge spike in tourists since the Covid pandemic.

These include new "red routes" which prohibit stopping at any time on several roads, the addition of yellow lines to other roads and limited stay parking bays on other stretches.

The red routes will be a first for Derbyshire but are used extensively in other parts of the country, the council said.

The plans were drawn up after residents and officials voiced concerns about increasing parking issues caused by rising visitor numbers.

In January Derbyshire Police said they were forced to close multiple roads, including Winnats Pass and Rushup Edge near Castleton, due to "selfish parking".

It followed reports of about 200 parked cars blocking gritting lorries and emergency services trying to respond to an injured walker near Edale.

Restrictions on the south side of Buxton Road will include a maximum stay of four hours between 09:00 to 17:00 in marked bays with no return allowed within one hour.

An unnamed road towards the Blue John Cavern, Sparrowpit and a highway from Rushup Edge Farm turning head will have its double yellow lines replaced with red lines which means no stopping at anytime.

Blue John Cavern has asked for some limited waiting bays to be created on the unnamed road close to its entrance so it is proposed to convert 10 of the unrestricted bays into limited waiting bays

Double yellow lines will be introduced on Pindale Road and Millbridge in the vicinity of Trickett Close and How Lane.

The current single yellow line on the east side of Back Street will also be converted to a double yellow line.

Pay and display parking bays on old Mam Tor Road are set to be extended from weekends and bank holidays to seven days a week between 09:00 to 17:00 with a maximum stay of four hours.

The council said the new measure would ensure there was a turnover of parking spaces in these bays. New parking meters will also be installed.

Further up old Mam Tor Road, there will be marked parking bays allowing vehicles to park with no restrictions.

Charlotte Hill, cabinet member for potholes, highways and transport at Derbyshire County Council, said: "Our road safety team has been working with Castleton Parish Council to try and identify ways to better manage parking in the village.

"Castleton is a beautiful place to visit, but the roads were never designed for the kinds of traffic volumes – and the size of vehicles – that we see today.

"For the past few years, there have been concerns about inconsiderate parking, and some motorists not understanding the restrictions that are currently in place.

"We hope that our proposals will help local people, make things clearer for visitors and reduce disruption to help make sure visitors enjoy the beauty of our county.

"Alongside our proposals to restrict parking, we will also look to enforce the restrictions robustly with our team of parking attendants, to ensure traffic can move safely and smoothly in the area, reducing congestion and unnecessary delays."

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