Exasperated Corby postmaster's fourteen year row over disabled parking spots

A sub-postmaster from Corby has pleaded with council officials to sort out a series of errors that have led to two disabled parking spots being accidentally painted outside his shop several times since 2006.

Harry Sroya, who has been at Willow Brook Road Post Office for 34 years. He uses the parking spots right outside his shop as a secure way to make deliveries and collections to his post office and convenience store.

But in 2006, the parking spots were suddenly painted with two sets of disabled markings. He wrote to Northamptonshire County Council to ask them to put disabled parking elsewhere in the large car park so he could continue to load and unload outside his shop. NCC said that the bays had been painted without the consent of the Highways Authority (also Northamptonshire County Council), had no legal standing and were backed by no legal order so they would be removed.

But in 2010 he received another letter telling him that the bays 'had been defaced' and that they would be repainted. He managed to get them to reconsider by reminding him that there was no legal order backing the painting of the bays so their plan was scrapped.

Then again, in 2015, the bays were again set to be painted, and Harry had to once again write to the local authority to ask them to reconsider.

Now the bays have once again been given disabled markings and Harry, at his wits' end, has asked the Northants Telegraph to step in to help.

He said: "If they're disabled bays then it means we've got to park elsewhere which causes a nuisance for people and it makes it difficult to unload. It's really important as a Post Office that we can make secure deliveries.

"I don't mind if one of the two bays is disabled but it really would be safer for everyone if the bays were painted elsewhere in the car park.

"They did it without consulting us. Every time they come to repaint the bays I have to give them the original letter and they decide not to do it.

"It's ridiculous. This has been going on for more so many years now. I ring NCC and they say it's not us, it's Highways. Then Highways won't discuss it on the phone, I have to send an email."

Next door at Bubbles Hair and Beauty , owner Carole Brown said: "They're not in a very convenient place for customers. It would be much easier if they just painted them elsewhere in the car park."

A spokesperson from Northamptonshire County Council said: “The markings were incorrectly painted many years ago. A job was raised via Fix My Street for repainting the markings and this was actioned as a straightforward re-lining.

“However it has now come to light that the relevant traffic regulation orders are not in place and as a result the lines will be removed.”