Eric lights touchpaper for parking WW3

THE FRIDAY THING: PARKING is the bane of many people’s lives, and not only for those who actually have a car.

In fact those folk who don’t have a car to park outside their posh gates are angry that neighbours or passers-by are quite happy to park in the space immediately outside their front door.

You would think that the nearness of a general election should be focusing minds on the doorstep battles to come.

We had our own version of a parking vehicles war a while ago but, surprise, surprise (even without Cilla) nothing came of it. Maybe a lot of parish councillors don’t have cars.

But, thanks to Eric Pickles, we are all to be given the opportunity to challenge parking policies with the Government introducing a right-to-challenge parking policy.

Mr Pickles believes it will strengthen local democracy and local accountability. The fact that it might lead to fighting in the street is surely a small price to pay for parking the light of your driving life in a spot where you can see it day or night. All that seems very straightforward but because this a Government plan, it is not going to be easy.

I am not convinced that many people will take a blind bit of notice, including elected councillors.

Especially given councillors, not officers, will be making the final decision on the review (heaven help us all), in the hope that it will strengthen local representative democracy.

As Mr Pickles puts it: “We hope the end result should be to remove unnecessary or excessive parking restrictions and unfair parking practices, to the benefit of the local economy and local shops.”

Sounds like the start of world war three to me.

Official guidance will include best practice advice on the details setting appropriate minimum thresholds for valid petitions, minimum requirements for information, the appropriate grounds for rejecting a petition, and managing the response to petitions.

Anyone understand all that? No, didn’t think so.