That was the sentiments of Forfar councillor Glennis Middleton when proposals for the introduction of new parking restrictions for the town were discussed at this month's meeting of Forfar Community Council.

The meeting heard residents in Helen Street were concerned about the loss of parking down one side of their street.

Fears were expressed new restrictions under the Forfar Traffic Management plan could lead to animosity between neighbours and could devalue the property.

Residents had questioned where visitors would park and feared cars displaced from Helen Street would cause problems for other car owners in adjacent streets.

Chairman Mrs Isobel Ross stated there were points which needed to be addressed.

Turning to Tayside Police Inspector John Tasker, councillor Middleton stated: "I can't imagine you will want your men running up and down yellow lines policing areas like Helen Street, the Lour Road and the other streets that are going to be affected.

"Who is going to police this. It is a nonsense to me.

"I think this is going to be a nightmare for residents and visitors in Helen Street. We are going to have yellow lines up the Lour Road at the instigation of, I think, only one or two residents who, admittedly, had difficulty exiting their drive-ways.

"But no-one else up the Lour Road will have visitors now because they won't be allowed to park on the double yellow lines.

"There will be a knock-one affect for Day Care Centre staff who park there, especially in the winter. I am desperately trying to find a solution to that.

"It just seems to me there's a bit of a sledge-hammer to crack a nut here. I have no idea what was in the thoughts of Angus Council on this matter. I just don't get it."

Mrs Ross told the meeting that, when details of the proposals first came out, she was informed by the roads department the yellow lines would be "mostly on corners" so that sight lines would be free for people coming out of streets.

Compromise

She called for some compromise and asked for an extension of the consultation period to enable the community council to put in an objection for Helen Street.

"Who is enforcing the situation at the moment with the yellow paint?" she asked.

Councillor Middleton questioned the level of enforcement in Castle Street and the High Street.

"You will find people double parked, parked on double yellow lines causing absolute ructions."

Inspector Tasker, who was attending his first meeting of the community council, assured members he had been assessing the problem areas in Forfar and he was aware parking in Castle Street and the high street was one of them (see separate story).

He stated uniformed officers, as well as the traffic warden, had been issuing tickets in the town centre in recent weeks.

He said: "Obviously the people who are parking know they shouldn't be there and we are giving tickets out.

"We have been having foot patrols down the High Street and Castle Street, and hopefully on a more regular basis.We would like to try to do that as often as we possibly can.

"There is indiscriminate parking, without any shadow of a doubt, and we will tackle it.

"There are parking issues in the centre of town and we will put in enforcement."

Mrs Ross questioned the laying down of more yellow lines in areas of the town where residents had no other options for places to park.

"Here we have a situation where people are blatantly parking on double yellow lines and are getting away with it, and yet those who have nowhere else to park are not going to be able to park because of the yellow lines."

Whilst there was a rash of yellow lines going down all over the town, one member questioned why one troubled area - in North Street near the chip shop - was not getting any.

As the discussion continued about the traffic congestion in the town, Councillor Glennis Middleton reminded members of the days of the Area Forums.

One way

She had chaired a special forum which looked at the proposal to make Castle Street one way but, because of "one or two very vociferous people", the proposal did not move forward.

She added: "I think it is really time to revisit that in a formal way as that would solve some of the issues we are speaking about here."