Reading road to get double yellow lines - this is where

Double yellow lines will soon run along the length of Shinfield Road, from Christchurch Green in the north to Shinfield Rise to the south.

The decision means drivers will no longer be able to park in Shinfield Road.

However, there are fears that the loss of roadside parking spaces will mean drivers will park in nearby residential streets, including in The Mount, where some neighbours have said that they struggle to find a parking space because of ‘lax’ restrictions.

READ MORE: Fate of proposal to introduce tighter restrictions to parking in The Mount decided 

But councillors were unclear about how much of a knock-on impact the displacement of parking spaces would have.

Councillor Rob White, the Green leader of the opposition and Park ward representative, said: “Maybe Shinfield Road would create a problem, maybe it won’t.

Meanwhile, cllr Clarence Mitchell (Conservative, Emmer Green) suggested that the situation should be monitored and a report be brought to the council in September.

But this suggestion was rejected  by cllr Tony Page (Labour, Abbey) lead member for transport.

Cllr Page said: “Until the Shinfield Road scheme has been fully implemented, which won’t be until later this year and then there needs to be a time to monitor that, it will clearly be into next year before we’re in a position to properly assess the impact.”

Shinfield Road in Reading. Credit: Google Maps

The introduction of double yellow lines in Shinfield Road is part of the Government’s Active Travel Funding Scheme tranche 2, which aims to encourage cycling and other active travel measures.

A key reason for the double yellow lines would be to prevent drivers parking along the road, clearing the way for future cycle lanes.

As part of the scheme, the council was given £1.179 million in funding, engaged in two consultations on how to improve active travel using the money.

Yet in a recent consultation, only 22 people responded, with 17 of those being in favour and four people objecting, arguing car parking in Shinfield Road does not cause an unsafe obstruction or increase congestion, and expressing worries that drivers would park in neighbouring residential streets.

READ MORE: Yellow line project dubbed 'a fiasco' as cars as drivers are hit with fines 

Cllr Andrew Hornsby-Smith (Labour, Church) voicing his support for the scheme, said: “The fact that residents have come out so strongly in support of it is telling itself.

“And I can confirm that the residents I spoke to during the election campaign all the way along Shinfield Road were very happy that we’re going ahead with this.

“It is one of the steps we need to take in order to deliver the wider scheme of the segregated cycle lanes and that will form part of our strategic network of cycle lanes, and really improve the sustainability of Reading.”

The scheme was unanimously approved by the traffic management sub committee yesterday (Wednesday, June 15).

Work to lay the double yellow lines is expected to occur later this year.