NEW restrictions banning drivers from parking on the double yellow lines in Beach Road between 8am and 7pm all year round could be in place by next winter.

At a packed meeting on January 10 parish councillors agreed to push for the rule in the wake of chaotic scenes over Christmas and New Year that saw the road blocked by parked cars.

Villagers who had aired their complaints on this page about blocked gateways, traffic jams and near misses involving pedestrians, turned up in force for the debate.

Chairman Eric Lund explained the council had been advised by Norfolk County Council’s highways department to go for a compromise because it improved the chances of the application getting through the process as quickly as possible.

The bid will have to go through a consultation with residents, but if they back it and everything goes smoothly it could be in place in 12 months. The hope is that it will be implemented in time for the Christmas holidays.

Parking on the other side of Beach Road road is already banned. But after seeing people driving over the pavement and parking on the dune the councillors have agreed to get signs put up on the bollards warning drivers of the restriction.

Winterton has been a holiday village for least six decades, if not longer and there will always be day trippers and holidaymakers who prefer its simplicity and lack of garish attractions. The business these people bring is needed to keep our shops, pub and cafe open. Local people also depend on them for employment, not just through the summer season.

The car park, right next to the beach, is also a great facility. So it isn't free. Neither are the car parks at Great Yarmouth. Without financial support from that business and the efforts of the cafe staff and the CoastWatch volunteers the public toilets would no longer be open. In fact it's rather shameful that the CoastWatch personnel have discovered bottle tops, foreign coins and buttons in the donations bucket when they staff the car park in the winter to raise funds for their organisation. What kind of cheapskate can't even bung in a quid to help a vital service?

A balance has to be struck in Winterton and it is hoped these new parking restrictions will provide some relief for people living in the village and ensure emergency service vehicles can get through to the beach.

And if some visitors can be pointed in the direction of the free parking at the recreation ground, so much the better.

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