Ruddington motorists should already be aware that there are peak period parking restrictions on Dutton’s Hill to ensure the free flow of traffic through the village during the morning and evening rush hours. No parking, waiting, loading or unloading is permitted between 8am and 9.15am in the morning, and between 5pm and 6.30pm in the evening, from Monday to Saturday inclusive. Please note that these restrictions apply to Blue Badge Holders too.
Despite this, it’s a frequent occurrence to find vehicles parked illegally during the restricted periods. This can, and usually does, cause chaos on our roads, from the High Street in the south to the Tavern Island and Wilford Road in the north. The traffic island becomes blocked on a regular basis.
Very often, offending vehicles are issued with Penalty Charge Notices but it would be better not to have to do this. The preferred option would be for the road to be left clear to enable traffic to make good progress. Please can everyone pay attention to the clearly visible road signs and markings, so we can improve matters for the benefit of our whole village?
These two photographs, which were taken recently, illustrate the point well. They were taken only a few minutes apart and show 
the stark difference between the serious congestion in the first photo (above), when a single car was parked on the hill and received a Penalty Charge Notice, and the free flowing traffic (right) after the vehicle had been removed.
Councillor Paul Reedman