New double yellow lines for van dwelling hotspots

Double yellow lines will be painted in van dwelling hotspots across a town in a bid to stop unauthorised encampments on the roadside.

Glastonbury in Somerset has seen a rise in the number of people living in vehicles in recent years, with the most recent figures showing there were 131 van dwellers in the town.

In an effort to stop that number growing, Somerset Council has approved plans to paint double yellow lines where vans are particularly prevalent.

Councillor Federica Smith Roberts, who oversees communities for the authority, said work was being carried out "where congestion is limiting business access, creating road safety concerns or affecting road safety in residential areas".

Following a public consultation over the summer, the council has approved the traffic regulation orders (TROs) - with the new lines expected to be painted in the relevant areas before the end of the year.

Councillor Ewan Cameron said a public consultation into the idea received 90 comments in favour and only one against.

New parking restrictions will be put in the following areas:

• Double yellow lines on all four arms of the Morland roundabout, which connects the Morland Enterprise Park to the A39 Street Road. These will run as far north as the junction with Beckery Old Road, as far east as the Aldi entrance on Beckery New Road, as far south as the A39 junction and as far west as the lower junction of Beckery Old Road with Morland Road.
• Double yellow lines will also be put in place at the mini-roundabout where Tor View Avenue meets The Roman Way, with restrictions being put in place on all three approaches.
• Zig-zag markings and signage will be installed on the eastern side of Wells Road opposite the entrance to St. Dunstan's School.

Cameron said getting the lines painted could take three months, and represented the first TROs the town had applied for in around a decade.

The plans are part of a raft of wider measures designed to provide safe accommodation for the van dwelling community across Glastonbury, in addition to reducing anti-social behaviour.

The £23.6m Glastonbury town deal includes the creation of an off-road site for those living in vehicles, with plans expected to be made public soon.

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