Cumbria County Council will consider asking for power to clamp down on illegal parking by food delivery staff in Barrow, a meeting heard.
The county’s cabinet listened to reports of some takeaway drivers parking on double yellow lines in the town centre – with a particular focus on Crellin Street.
Councillors heard that efforts to tackle the issue via targeted multi-agency engagement and enforcement and a review of on-street traffic regulation orders had resulted in no significant improvement in the situation.
Councillor Kevin Hamilton, chairman of the authority’s local committee for Barrow, told Thursday’s cabinet meeting: “If the county council goes for the devolved DVLA powers, we are governors of our own destiny.”
Cllr Anne Burns said lorries used Crellin Street and that the parking of delivery drivers meant they can’t swing round, so they block the road.
If the authority applies to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency for devolved powers, it would mean it could clamp and remove untaxed vehicles.
Cllr Hamilton said the council would only ‘have to do one or two’ to ‘send a message’.
Cllr Stewart Young, CCC leader, said: “If we are going to be clamping cars and taking them away, there needs to be a secure compound to place them in, which there isn’t at the moment. Our officers are looking into this.”
Cllr Young also stressed that vehicles that were taxed were also causing problems and that ‘untaxed vehicles aren’t the only issue’.
After the meeting, a county council spokesman said: “It’s unfortunate that the need to ask the DVLA for these devolved powers has arisen but, given the hazards and obstructions this inconsiderate parking is causing around this busy area of Barrow town centre, we’ve been left with no option but to consider this.
“The council’s enforcement team have tried to engage with the owners of the vehicles not complying with parking restrictions regarding the impact this is having on highway safety and the local community.
“We will now explore the process and feasibility of adopting the DVLA devolved powers from the Secretary of State in the hope that this may help resolve this issue.”
