DRIVERS could be banned from parking outside a popular park in a bid to ease town centre traffic woes in Halstead.

Halstead Town Council is set to apply to the Local Highways Panel to introduce double yellow lines in Trinity Street on a stretch of road outside of the Public Gardens.

The spot is a popular parking area for townsfolk, particularly when visiting the public gardens.

In a town council meeting last week, proposals for double yellow lines received unanimous backing.

The council says it is due to the traffic issues on the road, with vehicles held up by parked cars.

The issue was first brought up at a council meeting in December, when a resident expressed concerns about the road.

In a statement read to the council, they said: “The sheer volume of traffic movement through this point, of which HGV accounts for a high proportion, has grown over the years, not helped of course by the expansion of housing stock and the consequential additional vehicles this has brought with it.

“Most recently temporary restrictions were imposed for this section of roadway which quite obviously and effectively improved overnight the continued flow of vehicles through the town and gave relief to others entering and attempting to leave Kings Road at that junction.

“The practicality or other reasons for permitting such a situation to continue still remains a mystery since there are many available places for parking in the town, which would not cause such frustration and annoyance to road users such as this very small section of the road does.”

A spokesman for the town council echoed the concerns, saying: “Since the road Is a through route for heavy lorries travelling between Sudbury, Halstead and Braintree, traffic is frequently held up by parked cars at this location.

“The council has applied for the double yellow lines, but the North Essex Parking Partnership needs to see more local support.

“Residents should send any messages of support for the proposal to us at townclerk@halsteadtowncouncil.org.uk.”