AN action plan will tackle the problem of long-term parking and speeding on Ledbury’s streets.

Solutions could include more yellow lines, making Bridge Street car park free again and using electronic speed indicator devices (SIDs) to slow down passing traffic, in areas where parking narrows the highway.

However, opinion is strongly divided among town councillors.

To get the ball rolling, the town’s car parking working party is to meet on Monday (July 22) to seek answers as to why on-street parking has become such a problem.

Councillor Chris Ridler, chairman of the town’s planning committee, said: “It takes time to collect all the facts but if we have a plan, then we can move forward.

“I dread the day when an ambulance or fire engine won’t be able to get into a public area because it is clogged up with traffic.”

But fellow councillor Martin Eager said: “So far as I’m concerned, there isn’t a parking problem in Ledbury. People are parking where they can park legally. No-one can stop anyone parking outside their house. These are public roads.

“I’m not in favour of traffic orders.”

Coun Annette Crowe said: “Sweeping yellow lines through the town won’t help anyone. People have to park to come to work. But we need a solution.”

The problem seems to have increased since Ledbury lost its last free car park, at Bridge Street, last year.

Coun Crowe said that reinstating the free car park should be looked into but her prime concern was the safety of children close to Ledbury Primary School, due to extensive parking, often both sides, in Long Acres and Orchard Lane.

She said that SIDs could be installed to slow traffic down, and added: “We are looking at putting one up by the John Masefield High School, and also restricting the speed limit to 20mph by schools.

Ledbury Primary School’s headteacher Julie Rees is also concerned about the speed of cars coming down Orchard Lane from Tesco.

It is a street where parking is often both sides, restricting the vision of anyone trying to cross.

She said: “Cars do come down there at quite a speed.”

To boost child safety at dropping off and pick up times, the primary does operate a system of “dropping off zones”, immediately outside the school, where children are met by staff as soon as car doors are opened.

Mrs Rees said she encouraged parents to park responsibly and said would be happy to help the town council in coming up with more solutions.

Bank Crescent resident, former town mayor, Spencer Lane, said parking on both sides was also a problem in his street for residents and added: “If they made the car parks free in Ledbury, that would help.

“They need to get this sorted if Ledbury is to preserve its vibrant and economic status – if we want people to come here and shop and use our facilities.”