I was shocked to come home and find double yellow lines painted outside my home - now I've got nowhere to park

A DISABLED man who spent months hospitalised was shocked to come home to find find double yellow lines painted around his parked car. Joseph Thompson, 60, nearly died multiple times when he was adm…

Ethan Singh

Published: 18:17, 24 Jun 2023
Updated: 22:10, 24 Jun 2023

A DISABLED man who spent months hospitalised was shocked to come home to find find double yellow lines painted around his parked car.

Joseph Thompson, 60, nearly died multiple times when he was admitted to hospital on January 10 with pneumonia.

While he was in hospital he left his motor in its usual space directly outside his flat in Leith, Edinburgh.

Two months later he was stunned to find freshly painted yellow lines surrounding his car, marked by cones on either side.

Now Joseph faces being "trapped" in his home because he can't walk far.

While in hospital Joseph nearly died after developing sepsis and various other serious infections.

And a motorbike accident and fall on board a moving bus during his younger years had already left his mobility in tatters.

The closest disabled spot is up a hill at the top of the street, which Joseph can't get to.

The changes were due to the rollout of City of Edinburgh Council's controlled parking zones in the area.

Joseph added: "I have double yellow lines outside my flat. I have been told I can park anytime. Then told otherwise. There is no signage in my square, so I'm confused about the loading issue.

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"It looks as though the only option I have is to become 'trapped' in my flat, by selling my car.

"There has never been a problem with parking or access. I know the new zones are to stop people abandoning their cars for the day and going into the city but this is a quiet area."

His support worker is now helping him to apply for a disabled parking spot outside his flat.

The City of Edinburgh Council have since said Joseph is free to park on the double yellow lines because loading restrictions do not apply.

They said a parking ticket handed to him on March 29 was only issued as a notice so that they could move his motor to mark the remaining lines.

Councillor Scott Arthur, transport and environment convener at City of Edinburgh Council, said: “As a blue badge holder, Mr Thompson is entitled to apply for a disabled space and is permitted to park on the double yellow lines outside of his property and any other double yellow lines where there are no loading restrictions and where it is safe to do so.

"He can also park in pay and display spaces, and can apply for a free permit to park in permit spaces in the area.

“In addition to correspondence with residents over recent years about plans, we sent out leaflets to residents in February and again before zones went live, with information about the changes and permits.”

It comes after a council painted new double lines so badly that residents thought it was a prank.

The lines were supposed to solve parking woes, but locals are now calling for the "shabby" paint job to be fixed.

Meanwhile, furious homeowners on one road have put up spikes to stop ‘"disgraceful" parking on their road.