Isle of Man overnight parking ban “inappropriate and disproportionate”

Concerns about government plans to restrict overnight parking for ‘large vehicles’ have been raised by a number of local authorities on the Isle of Man, the BBC reports.

Douglas Council said the Department of Infrastructure’s (DOI) proposals were submitted without consultation.

In a letter sent to local authorities, the DOI said it aimed to “restrict inappropriate weekend and overnight parking in residential areas”.

Council leader Claire Wells said more detail was needed to provide feedback.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Ms Wells said: “We’ve had parties on both sides, people who are in favour of the changes, people who are not in favour of the changes.”

Ms Wells wanted to know about alternative provisions for vehicles of more than 6ft (1.87m) high or 18ft (5.5m) long.

“These are the things that I think the DOI need to consider are before they think about changing the regulations at the moment,” she added.

Related: Petition opposes proposed overnight parking ban on Isle of Man

In the letter, shown to the BBC, the DOI said it was down to the local authorities to identify the areas where such a ban would apply, “which can range from a blanket exception for the whole authority down to one or two streets”.

Commissioners in Garff have responded to the proposals on social media, describing a blanket ban as “inappropriate and disproportionate”.

Meanwhile at the local authority in Ramsey, a spokesman said any restrictions were “likely to cause consternation and concern to the vehicle owners”.

“The exercise of deciding on the geographical areas around Ramsey where these vehicle may be permitted will require thought, time and robust debate,” he added.

Meanwhile, motorhome and campervan owners are speaking out to oppose the overnight parking bans.

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