Residents’ backlash halts Penyfarthing Homes’s plan to stop on-street parking with double yellow lines on Compton Road in New Milton

RESIDENTS were victorious after slamming a developer’s plan to stop on-street parking on a New Milton road for up to 18 months.

Complaints that Pennyfarthing Homes would add temporary double yellow lines to an 80-metre stretch of Compton Road without consultation led to a special meeting between the two parties and a “compromise” being reached.

Instead of the lines preventing normal parking seven days a week from 7am to 6pm, cones will be in place Monday to Friday from 9am to 3pm.

“Crane days” will be the exception, with the measures in place from 8am to 4pm.

The developer cited health and safety for the initial Hampshire County Council traffic order stretching from the Hobart Road junction.

It stated it would allow “safe access and egress” by large vehicles, including cranes, for work carried out on the site of the former A&T offices.

But neighbours were furious to only learn of this weeks before the markings were due to be painted on 6th August.

Hampering medication deliveries and worsening inconsiderate parking on the unmarked stretch were among knock-on effects feared.

Pennyfarthing was given New Forest District Council permission to convert the main office block at 31-33 Compton Road into 10 apartments.

A workshop building to the rear and the building fronting onto 62 Old Milton Road have been demolished and will be replaced with seven homes and a three-storey block of six apartments.

Following the outcry, up to 20 residents attended an on-site meeting last Wednesday.

Allan Scott, who was among the complainants, told the A&T: “[Pennyfarthing] wanted to enforce their ideas, but we said the yellow lines are a nonsense.

“After a long discussion, they used our idea – to use cones Monday to Friday.

“I said to them, ‘If your lorries are unable to drive in, I’ll drive them in for you’. With the cones, we’re only losing two on-street parking spaces.”

Mr Scott previously told how the lines may cost two members of a Ukrainian family he is housing their jobs as they would not have been able to park the cars he had provided on the street.

Neighbour Jean Horlock also welcomed the meeting’s outcome.

Selling her home of nearly 40 years, she had worried the markings would put off prospective buyers. Now she just has to ensure moving does not clash with a crane day.

Mr Scott concluded: “We’re confident it will work and won’t be a problem.

“We’ll be flexible. We don’t want our vehicles damaged, so it is in our interests to ensure they can get through to the site.”

Another resident pleased with the cones solution had previously worried her family would not be able to park all of their cars.

Recalling no parking control measures for the original office block’s build, the woman, who wished to remain anonymous, commented that bin and removal lorries got through without problems.

But she complained of no prior notice before the builders used heavy machinery on Tuesday morning.

“The whole house was shaking for about an hour,” she said.

“A bit of courtesy would be good. Just come and tell us that they will be operating some heavy machinery.”

A Pennyfarthing spokesperson said: “While the health and safety of residents remains our priority, we understand their needs and are collaborating with them to trial a workable [parking] solution that minimises the impact on the community.”

Stressing all crane lifting activities would be carried out on-site, they promised five days’ advance written notice from the site manager.

The spokesperson added: “If it transpires that Pennyfarthing is unable to manage parking with these arrangements, it may have to implement single yellow lines to ensure safe access and public safety, but this will only be implemented after further consultation with the residents.”