Church Street businesses say double yellow lines are killing their trade

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Church Street businesses say new parking restrictions are denting their already challenged businesses.

Earlier this year a set of short-stay parking bays which also doubled as a taxi rank in the evening were removed and replaced with double yellow-lines.

The stretch, just down from Preston Minster, has meant the newsagents, takeaway and nearby mini mart are struggling with deliveries.

Read more: New Hall Lane bus lane frustration grows

Lancashire County Council said at the time they were moving the bays to Church Row, which is over the road around the corner.

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The relocation was undertaken to prevent delays to buses using the route and having to give-way due to the parking bays.

The owners of Church Street News, Fresh n Fast and Euro Mini Mart say while they objected at the time the complaints fell on deaf ears at County Hall.

Church Street News, Fresh n Fast and Euro Mini Mart owners in Church Street Pic: Blog Preston
Church Street News, Fresh n Fast and Euro Mini Mart owners in Church Street Pic: Blog Preston
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Now they are calling for a re-think saying there needs to be a provision for deliveries.

Firoza Patel of Church Street News said she had been given tickets for making quick deliveries to the store.

She said: “It’s cost us already in parking fines and the wardens show no appreciation of the difficulty it is giving to our business.

“We have been here for more than ten years and this change happens in the space of months.

“They don’t understand how disruptive it makes it for business. And having the deliveries around the corner is no good.”

Church Street News, Fresh n Fast and Euro Mini Mart owners in Church Street Pic: Blog Preston
Church Street News, Fresh n Fast and Euro Mini Mart owners in Church Street Pic: Blog Preston

Sabir Patel who runs the Fresh n Fast takeaway said it had been very disruptive for waste collections.

He said: “We get the oil picked up and we’re having to carry it down the street. It is dangerous.

“You try carrying cardboard across the road in the rain and it is a mess.”

He also said it was harming their ability to do deliveries as there was always space for delivery drivers to wait but now he says they have to go round and the block and wait for them to run out with the food while stopping in the middle of the road.

A spokesperson for Lancashire County Council said: “We relocated the short-term parking spaces on Church Street just a short distance away to Church Row to make it safer for buses exiting the bus stop on Church Street.

“At the same time we added two goods vehicle loading only bays to Church Row to ensure local businesses can still receive deliveries, and would encourage businesses to make use of these bays.

“A full consultation was carried out before the changes were made.”

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