Taxi driver in council battle over yellow lines that 'ban him parking on drive'

Taxi driver Sean Milward, of Broughton Road, in Shrewsbury, has been fighting a lonely battle against double yellow lines that the council painted on the road outside his house.

"The lines don't just stop me from parking on the road, they ban me parking on the drive up to my house," said Mr Milward, 56, who has lived in his corner plot semi for 36 years.

It all means that Mr Milward risks the wrath of his neighbours when he goes on a regular hunt for a precious parking space in his traffic clogged part of Sundorne.

"Parking spaces are precious around here," said Mr Milward, 56, "and I run the risk of being sworn at by people if I park outside their homes."

Mr Milward, who works for Now Taxis, and his partner, also own a Ford Mondeo, and only one of those can - barely - fit inside their gates.

He's sorted out a temporary solution with a kind neighbour who has let him park one of the vehicles for a few weeks. But after the lines were painted he was warned that he risks a parking ticket if he parks the public part of the drive up to his home, which is accessed by a drop-down kerb.

"As a taxi driver I know all the parking wardens and have to get on with them," said Mr Milward. "I wouldn't want to upset them by parking where I should not."

The solution, for Mr Milward, is for the council to move the lines by 15 feet to give him enough space to park on his drive. This would, he says, allow the best of both worlds, to stop school run mums and dads parking all over the place and allow him to get his cars off the carriageway.

But his efforts to persuade Shropshire Council to do that have come to a screeching halt. He's even been contacted his MP and a local councillor but with no luck.

"I've had to ask my daughter, Kelly, to email them for me, as I don't know how to do that, and can never speak to anyone," he said.

Sundorne councillor Kevin Pardy has also tried to see if the council can help find a solution but with no luck so far. It even took a while for him to get an answer from officials.

"I do sympathise with Mr Milward and thank him for contacting me," said Councillor Pardy, who represents the Labour party. "Parking is difficult all over Sundorne."

"But it seems there is no compromise on this one from the officers who have all the technical knowledge to support their case," he said. "Mr Milward's house is on the corner and parking there affects visibility."

A spokesperson for Shropshire Council said double yellow lines have been introduced at at the crossroads of Meadow Farm Drive, Broughton Road and Corndon Crescent in response to local safety concerns.

"Following full formal consultation on a prohibition of waiting order, double yellow lines have recently been introduced in response to local concerns with regards to parked vehicles and general road safety.

“These measures were not introduced specifically because of any issues with nearby schools.

“These restriction do also apply to areas of grass verge, and areas of highway, in the areas to the rear of the double yellow lines. These restrictions do not apply to Mr Milward’s private driveway and parking area within the curtilage of his property.”