County Road has double-yellow lines along its full length — but drivers are flouting restrictions, even parking in bus stops and causing people relying on public transit to miss rides into town.
Jordan Daly, 35, on County Road.(Image: Liverpool Echo)
A lack of parking around Walton’s County Road has led to dozens of parked cars being parked illegally along the length of the busy route. County Road has double-yellow lines along its full length — but drivers are flouting restrictions, even parking in bus stops and causing people relying on public transit to miss rides into town.
When the ECHO visited, dozens of cars were parked illegally along the length of County Road. None had been slapped with parking tickets, and people at local business owners expressed frustration over what they saw as a lack of parking enforcement and cleansing in the area.
Emil Rahaeanu, 36, owns Emil’s Kitchen on Country Road, Walton. He said there are cars parked on double-yellows and on the pavement outside his small café “all the time”.
“They [customers of nearby businesses] come here and leave their cars for hours. I pay the council for a parking space and it’s always full.
Emil Rahaeanu, 36, outside his café, Emil’s Kitchen, on County Road.(Image: Liverpool Echo)
“It makes things difficult because people passing can’t always see the front of the shop, and we don’t have a space where customers can park to pick up deliveries.
“There’s nothing we can do about it,” said Emil of drivers parking illegally on County Road. “The council don’t take it seriously.”
Emil said the issue had worsened since parking restrictions were extended in July, saying he hadn’t “seen a traffic warden for months” on County Road. Previously, drivers could park for free in the city centre after 6pm — but must now pay to park until 11pm.
Emil also complained that illegal parking means the road sweeping vehicle cannot clean pavements effectively — “when it turns up”, he said.
“It used to come down here three times a week. Now, if you see it once then it’s a good week. It’s difficult to make a positive difference when there’s so much rubbish around.”
Liverpool City Council says its enforcement officers operate “across the whole city” and that any vehicle found breaching rules will be given with a fine. The council added that cleansing teams “regularly clean each street across Liverpool and will remove fly-tipping when it occurs.”
Many of the pavement flags are cracked along the edge of the pavement on County Road, apparently due to vehicles parking with wheels up on the kerb.
Chloe Jones, 34, has worked at Laser Schoolwear for five years. She said: “I’ve never seen traffic wardens in all the time I’ve worked here.
“I think this road is terrible: cars are parked on the pavement for ages. I’ve seen people not be able to get on buses because there’s cars parked in the bus stops.
“When I open the shop there’s always rubbish outside. Everyone gets picked up for the Everton game outside and there’s always KFC wrappers and cans of lager left behind.”
Many of the side streets off County Road have large communal bins taking up former parking spaces.
Bin hubs have been placed on side streets off County Road. Dunluce Street pictured.(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Katie Deaves, 27, said: “On the side roads, where the bins are, there used to be parking spaces.
“Four car parking spaces have been taken away, and now it’s difficult for us staff, and for our customers, to park. It’s difficult for us all.”
Florist Lynsey Meadows, 38, owns Flowers by Lynsey Meadows close to The County pub. She said: “There’s nowhere to park on the streets. It’s difficult for customers. The bin hubs take up a lot of space.
She added that cars parking on double-yellow lines contributes to frequent road rage outside the shop, adding “There’s always people beeping outside the shop.”
Sushma Raj, 44, runs County Road Post Office. She received a parking ticket while loading outside the business last month, and expressed her frustration that she was ticketed while so many go unpunished for flouting the rules.
She said: “People block my business all the time. There’s no space for taxi drivers to pull up outside, and lots of my customers are old or disabled, so they need to be dropped off outside.”
James Williams, 56, former barman at JT’s bar, said “We see a lot of buses getting stuck down here because of the parking.
“It’s a nightmare. My disabled dad can’t pull up outside my house,” said James, who lives on nearby Lind Street.
Want to have your say on your area? Contact jonathan.blackburn@reachplc.com
Jordan Daly, 35, is opening a new bar this month on County Road, The Craic House, after Everton bar JT’s closed following the club’s move to the Hill Dickinson. He said: “People are moving further into the city centre to drink on matchday.”
Kate Moore works at Mike’s Kitchen on County Road. She said: “I live here, and you see rats in the stuff left all around the communal bins; baths, sinks, beds” she said, adding “the street cleaners do a brilliant job.”
Barman James Williams, 56, outside the former JT’s bar, which is to become The Craic House, County Road, Walton. (Image: Liverpool Echo)
She added: “With the football going away, the whole place is dying a death. Just look at all the empty shops, and the pubs.
“Unless you come down for something specifically, why would you come to County Road? Everyone looks unhappy and malnourished.
“We need an Asda and some more accessible shops for the old people.”
Fatih Kahraman, 41, also of Mike’s Kitchen, said: “Something has to be done. Too many businesses are closing. A lot of businesses closed when the football went, and it’s like a domino effect.”
Jade O’Leary, 36, works at Uniqcorn Crystals at the corner of Newark Street. She said: “The bins on the main road are always chocka. The takeaways are using residential bins and rats are so bad that they’re getting into cars.
Ali Ahmed, 32, of County Pet Shop, said: “People park in our loading bay every day. We miss deliveries because the van can’t get in, and sometimes it has to park at the front.”
Shop owner Adam Patel, 60, said: “A lot of people do park on the pavements, but there’s nothing we can do about it.
What does the council say?
A Liverpool City Council spokesperson said: “Cars are not permitted to park on double yellow lines or in bus stops at any time. Additionally, vehicles without a permit should not be parking in bays or on the road in residents’ only parking zones during the hours of operation.
“We have enforcement officers operating across the whole city, and any vehicle found to be breaching these rules may be issued a parking fine.
“Additionally, our cleansing teams regularly clean each street across Liverpool and will remove fly-tipping when it occurs. There are free and accessible ways to remove waste that avoids it being left on the street, including bulky item collections and our household waste and recycling centres.
“People can report incidents of fly-tipping at liverpool.gov.uk/environmental-problems/rubbish-and-litter/flytipping.”
Want to have your say on your area? Contact jonathan.blackburn@reachplc.com