Still not on the verge of parking solution in Woodhall Spa

Residents and visitors have been complaining about the state of Woodhall’s grass verges for months.

They claim ‘indiscriminate parking’ has ruined entire stretches of verges in various parts of the village, turning them into an ‘eyesore’.

At a recent meeting, a former parish council employee claimed the verges were still protected by a by-law, first introduced more than 30 years ago.

It effectively gave the parish council the power to ban parking on verges - and fine anyone who flouted the regulations.

According to the former employee, the by-law had never been rescinded and was still valid.

However, parish councillors were told at their meeting this month that despite an extensive search, no record of the by-law had been found.

Coun Isobel Clarke said: “I have trawled through loads of documents but there is nothing on verges.”

Coun Clarke said she still hoped to examine documents held by the Cottage Museum and would report back to the council next month (June).

Meanwhile, parish councillors have confirmed they will scrap plans for a village-wide CCTV system - unless they receive more support for the idea from residents and business owners.

Councillors have been considering introducing cameras to combat crime but say there was only a limited response from members of the public who attended the recent annual parish meeting.

Coun Rich Sanderson said the council was keen to receive more feedback before making a final decision but recommended ditching the idea, unless there was ‘significant support.’

l Councillors are calling for a more detailed financial report from the village Rotary Club before deciding whether to award a grant to this year’s Christmas Market.

The event attracts big crowds but several councillors expressed concern about how any grant would be spent and, in particular, were keen to avoid a re-appearance of ‘plastic Santas’.