More than 200 tickets issued since parking enforcement started in Wellingborough road

Derek Hooton Way in Wellingborough was officially opened in August 2011 and designed to be an access road to the High Street development, although this scheme has yet to come to fruition.

Despite the road having double yellow lines, the area is often used by people parking to visit shops nearby and several people have contacted the Northants Telegraph about getting a ticket there.

Among those is Paul King, who has been trying to appeal a ticket given to his daughter for parking in the road which is named after former council leader and mayor Derek Hooton.

While Mr King isn’t optimistic about getting the ticket overturned, he is keen for other drivers to know enforcement is now taking place there.

A total of 226 tickets, the equivalent of nearly one ticket every day, have been given out since the parking restrictions started being enforced eight months ago.

Mr King said: “The only good thing is that the signs have gone up now.

“If anybody parks there now, it is their own fault.”

While the council is not obliged to put signs up, Mr King feels it is ‘ethical’ to do so, especially as the parking restrictions only started being enforced last year.

And he added: “There are double yellow lines there, but 226 people obviously parked there thinking it was just wasteland.”

A spokesman for Wellingborough Council said: “Northamptonshire County Council is responsible for enforcing the parking restrictions in this area but has only recently started to do so.

“We have had a number of residents contact us who have been parking for some time on the yellow lines without getting a ticket so we contacted parking services and they confirmed that they are enforcing as is required by the official parking order.

“We recently ordered signs to make sure that everyone is aware that the order is now being enforced and to back up the yellow line painting.

“The borough council owns the land but the county council enforces official traffic orders so the intention was to try to help drivers who were considering parking in that area to prevent them getting a ticket.”

A spokesman for Northamptonshire County Council said: “We started enforcing Derek Hooton Way at the request of Wellingborough Council due to the amount of vehicles parking in the location.

“Enforcement started July 2016.

“So far 226 penalty charge notices have been issued in this location.”