Why have promised double yellow lines taken FOUR YEARS to paint on Milton Keynes estate?

Residents are seeing red over the amount of time it is taking to paint double yellow lines on their estate to help ease parking chaos.

It was agreed four years ago, following a special public meeting, that action was needed on several roads in Neath Hill, where people were parking so badly that emergency service vehicles and Serco bin lorries were not able to get through.

But so far, not a single line has been painted, say residents.

Resident, David Sadler, said: "This matter is still unresolved after FOUR years of discussions and consultations. It is causing difficulties for residents, in particular those living in Dyers Mews.

"Will someone, either an council officer or councillor, get a grip and take ownership of this issue and please arrange to have the agreed double yellow line scheme implemented before the end of this financial year?"

Mr Sadler emailed a string of councillors and officers with his request. MK Council Head of Highways Davina Millership has replied saying the scheme had been delayed by the Covid pandemic.

She wrote: "You may not be aware but we have been distracted with new request to manage testing centres, vaccination centres and social distancing proposals as well. This scheme along with many others has been postponed because of the challenges of safe site visits which are required for us to measure the limits of the various restrictions prior to including them in the Traffic Regulation Schedules.

She added: "We are currently reviewing our workloads and hope to be able to pick up many of these schemes. However at present we are unable to give a timescale for this work."

The proposals agreed in 2018 included double yellow lines along Currier Drive at the entrances to Salters Mews and Turners Mews, as well as Serjeants Green at the entrance to Wheelwrights Mews, at its junctions with Glazier Drive, Currier Drive and Tower Drive and at the redway crossing point adjacent to the local play park.

More lines were proposed for Glazier Drive at its junction with V8 Marlborough Street, at the entrance to Dyers Mews, Fletchers Mews, Bowyers Mews, Carvers Mews, Cutlers Mews, Taylors Mews, Barbers Mews, Gilders Mews and Founders Mews, and at the redway crossing point opposite Dyers Mews.

MK Council said at the time: "The proposed waiting restrictions come as a result of road safety concerns due to parked vehicles which are causing obstruction to pedestrians, motorists, refuse collections and emergency service vehicles at junction and crossing points within Neath Hill."

A spokesman for the council told the Citizen today: "The process to install double yellow lines can be lengthy as there are public and statutory consultation periods to follow that will allow for comments from residents, transport operators, emergency services and other affected road users.

“This has been particularly difficult over the last two years as we have worked around social distancing restrictions too.”"