‘Back to the drawing board’ for ongoing Westward Ho! parking chaos

Frustrated councillors are going back to the drawing board to try and solve parking issues in Westward Ho!

Year around yellow lines are set to be implemented to try and deter people from parking on Golf Links Road and Westbourne Terrace which lead to the beach.

But there have been objections to no loading at any time restrictions.

READ NEXT: Westward Ho! seafront parking chaos has ‘no easy solution’

Members of the Torridge Highways and Traffic Orders Committee were told at a meeting on Friday (October 24) that if they wanted to pursue this part of the traffic order, a public inquiry would have to be held which would cost tens of thousands of pounds.

Instead highways officers have suggested that no loading restrictions apply to peak times of 7am to 10am and 4pm to 7pm

Devon county councillor for Northam Councillor Dermot McGeough said this didn’t go far enough as blue badge holders, who are allowed to park on double yellow lines, could still park on the road between the hours of 10am and 4pm.

He said Westbourne Terrace was the only access to the beach for emergency vehicles and the road was often clogged up with cars and people couldn’t pass each other.

He told officers he had been raising this issue for four years and still there was no proper solution. Torridge District Council had failed to put enough disabled bays in the car parks which were very close by and easily accessible, he said.

When he was told what it might cost the council at a public inquiry he said: “You can’t put a price on someone’s safety.”

The two members of the public who opposed the proposed restrictions said there was no alternative blue badge parking available and no loading at any time meant that deliveries could not take place.

Committee members agreed that a site meeting should be held and a possible designated ‘loading bay’ could be implemented on Westbourne Terrace.

READ NEXT: Full plans revealed for renovation of iconic Westward Ho! ‘haunted house’

Earlier this year Torridge councillors highlighted that only four or five of the 130 parking bays in the main Westward Ho! car park, owned by the district council, were for disabled drivers.

Cllr Louis Bach, who represents Westward Ho!, said anyone who went to the seaside resort or looked at social media would be aware of the problems of people parking on double yellow lines around local streets.

Cllr Doug Bushby said it was “horrendous and caused gridlock.”

Torridge’s car park manager Steve Macey said it had been a problem over the 17 years he had been doing the job.