Police condemn Peak District parking pandemonium

Derbyshire police have hit drivers with more fines for ‘illegal and hazardous’ parking around Mam Tor and Winnats Pass.

Following on from last weekend’s influx of cars on Rushup Edge that hampered a mountain rescue effort, officers from Hope Valley and the council’s traffic wardens were a visible presence this weekend. 

Despite this, they still issued ‘numerous’ tickets to vehicles parked on the clearway along Winnats Pass. 

“These measures were implemented to ensure the safety of pedestrians and to facilitate the movement of traffic,” said PCSO William Brockett. “Today's enforcement efforts were undertaken to convey a clear message that the escalating parking problems in the area are unacceptable.  

“While monitoring and enforcement actions will be taken against inconsiderate and dangerous parking behaviour whenever possible, it is important to note that these efforts require significant resources and cannot be sustained on a regular basis, particularly considering the frequency of these issues, which obviously peaks during the weekends.  

“The longstanding parking challenges at this location have been a point of concern for some time now, prompting ongoing communication and collaboration with our partners to try and find solutions to this issue.” 

Officers also arrested a 38-year-old man from Leicestershire who was found unresponsive in his car on Rushup Edge, failing both a roadside breath test and another while in custody. 

On the other side of Kinder Scout, 'inconsiderate' parking also hit Bowden Bridge in Hayfield, with police warning drivers and residents that traffic wardens will be on patrol.