DOUBLE yellow lines on a Park South road that were painted on around cars have been temporarily axed by the council.

Borough council workers painted the lines on Royston Road last week, as reported in the Adver.

They said the work was to reinstate an older parking ban order that existed for the road.

But yesterday the council said the new restrictions had been temporarily lifted.

A spokesman said: “We have suspended the parking restrictions that were reintroduced in Royston Road so we can undertake a review of parking in the area following feedback from residents, particularly those with mobility issues.

“Temporary signs have been erected and we have politely asked that residents give priority to those residents with blue badges to park on the stretch of street in question.

“We will give careful consideration to any alternative parking provision and will be liaising closely with local residents.”

Maggie Hathaway-Mills, 65, vice-chairman of the Tenants’ Association for Sheltered Housing, said that residents had understood for more than two decades that the small section of road was a de-facto parking spot for George Hall Court.

She said: “People have been parking there since it opened. Those five spaces are the only ones we’ve got.”

Maggie questioned how traffic wardens were able to get to Royston Road so quickly.

“Having worked in the council’s car parking department I am fully aware of the lack of inspectors, most being allocated to specific car parks in the town centre and only one or two roaming inspectors for the rest of the town,” she said

“I cannot believe that coincidentally a parking inspector was just passing Royston Road when the lines were being painted.”

Borough councillor Fay Howard suggested it was ironic traffic officers were able to act so quickly: “It’s taken years of lobbying to see changes along Whitbourne Avenue. Yet it seems a resident - possibly one resident - raised a concern here and the lines were painted back, despite it being in an area which is known to have too little parking provision.”

The lines were painted last week but workers were unable to finish the job, as elderly residents in sheltered housing block George Hall Court parked their cars in what they say is the only parking spot available for them.

Instead, borough officers painted them beneath the bumper of one car – slapping the owner with a £70 parking fine.

Resident Don Connell, 70, swore not to pay the ticket.

He said of the double yellow line’s painter: “This is discrimination.”

Neighbour Colin Dent said he had also been given a £70 parking fine – leaving his car outside the block after picking up his granddaughter from school: “This is the first ticket I’ve ever had. I’m 82.”

The borough council said that they had restored double yellow lines that had been in place before the Cavendish Square development, after a resident complained about parking creating a “road safety hazard”. They said that signs informing residents of the new restrictions had been “repeatedly removed or vandalised” – a claim residents deny.