Town dubbed ‘wild west’ of parking to receive double yellow lines in autumn

Twm Owen, Local Democracy Reporter

Double Yellow Lines are set to be painted on a high street in a town dubbed the “wild west” of parking a year after discussions began. 

Parking is already prohibited on Chepstow High Street but the restriction is seen as widely ignored leading to the deputy leader of Monmouthshire County Council branding the town as “like the wild west”. 

Monmouthshire County Council, in September last year, suggested painting double yellow lines on the High Street which it hoped would make clear to drivers they cannot park on the road. 

Restriction signs 

Yellow restriction signs, stating no parking is allowed, are currently used rather than yellow lines as painting them was seen as potentially damaging “the aesthetics” of the historic market town. 

The county council suggested putting aside concerns about the visual impact of yellow lines as it said illegal parking was increasing and Chepstow Town Council, in September 2024, agreed it would support the move. 

Catrin Maby, the county council’s Labour cabinet member responsible for highways, said the yellow lines will be laid this autumn when resurfacing work takes place on High Street. 

She said the council will have to publish a new traffic regulation order for the double yellow lines to be laid in October or November. 

That will also mean the council will have to publish an order stating its intention to revoke the current regulation prohibiting parking and to remove the signs. 

‘Complicated’

The Labour councillor for Drybridge told councillors: “Apparently it is quite complicated and you can’t have signs saying ‘no parking’ and double yellow lines at the same time, as I understand it you have to revoke one traffic order to introduce the other one, don’t ask me to justify that. That’s what’s been explained to me. 

“It’s all happening this autumn but I can’t give a more precise date than that.” 

Cllr Maby said the council has also started recruiting addition civil enforcement officers as she said drivers ignoring no parking zones “is such an issue across the county.” 

Conservative member for Chepstow’s Mount Pleasant ward, Cllr Paul Pavia, who had asked for an update on resurfacing of High Street and the traffic regulation order, at July’s full council meeting, said: “That is really good news, thank you.”

In January, responding to Cllr Pavia, deputy leader and Chepstow Castle and Larkfied member Paul Griffiths, said the council wanted to “complement” the existing signs with double yellow lines and described illegal parking as “a major issue of frustration”. 

He said: “Chepstow residents tell me they feel they are living in the sort of lawless conditions you would have found in the American wild west.  

“Motorists appear to be parking where they want, how they want without apparent restriction.”