By Isle of Wight Observer
Alverstone residents are up in arms about plans for double yellow lines and parking restrictions in the village.
During a hastily arranged meeting on Saturday, locals voiced their frustration and explained that the first they heard of the proposals was when Island Roads turned up and started marking out lines. After making enquiries to Island Roads, they discovered there had been a public consultation on a new Traffic Regulation Order (TRO), which ran from January 22 until February 16.
They claim that the only local notification was a piece of paper posted next to a flooded piece of road. There was criticism of local councillor, Clare Mosdell, who did not attend the meeting, and was first informed of the plans in November. One resident said she “should have been up to speed and gleaned public opinion and stopped the TRO ever going ahead. This did not happen.”
The parish council has strongly opposed the plans, on the grounds that they are unnecessary and a waste of resources. They were also seen as being detrimental to public safety.
Villagers claim that there has never been an accident in the village, and the new traffic restrictions are unnecessary and will inconvenience visitors who want to walk or cycle on the railway track or visit the bird/squirrel hide and Alverstone Mead nature reserve.
They fear that with increased visibility through the village, there will be more speeding and people will have to walk along the roads without parked cars slowing other drivers down and providing spaces to stand as a refuge.
A council spokesman said that the decision had been made on safety concerns and various emails to the residents confirm that, although the decision can be potentially reviewed in the future, it cannot be overturned without following due process – a procedure that one officer suggested could take up to eight months.