Businessman, 58, furious after jobsworth council worker paints double yellow lines around his wife’s car
A FURIOUS businessman said he was “bullied” by a council worker who painted double yellow lines around his wife’s car.
Hamid Beheshti, 58, had been working when the overzealous council official turned up on their street in Christchurch, Dorset, to complete the work.
The management consulting company director claims that he had opposed plans for the road makrings to be put in place, but the council ignored his pleas for a meeting to discuss the issues.
Mr Beheshti, who has lived in the area for 24 years, said the main issue is heavy goods vehicles and vans parking on the opposite pavement and bollards on the pavement would reduce congestion better than yellow lines.
BCP Council began painting double yellow lines down Norfolk Avenue, a dead end road, to reduce car presence with an aim to make it safer for cyclists, pedestrians and elderly users.
He said: "In January 2020 I emailed and objected to this double yellow line implementation.
"I followed all the correct protocol and suggested that they should consult me as someone who has lived here for almost 25 years.
"They said that they would do that, however they've gone ahead and put these lines down.
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"Here's the punchline, on the 17th of September I was called by a BCP Council representative who left me a voicemail categorically saying that they would not paint the yellow lines until they investigated and would come back to me.
"Less than a month later, I leave for work and they come and paint double yellow lines right outside my home.
"My wife's car was parked in its usual space and they've actually painted around her car. It's laughable.
"I've been writing to them since January 2020 and everything that I’ve said as a good citizen has been ignored.
"They have not achieved their goal by putting yellow lines outside my house.
"We struggled to sleep last night because we feel bullied. We feel a lot of unfairness here and someone 20 miles away sits in an office and does this without visiting us.
It is a ridiculous situation and a disastrous decision.
Hamid Beheshti
"I'm a business owner, I contribute to the town, we have a great relationship with neighbours, do you really need to add to people's burdens BCP?
"It is a ridiculous situation and a disastrous decision. I'm trying to be a good citizen here by talking with them and offering to help and I've been left with egg on my face.
"I just want to know why is it that my objections were clearly not considered?
"Also, can BCP please explain what they have achieved by putting these yellow lines down alongside my home, despite having been parking there for 24 years, when the problem is on the opposite pavement?"
A BCP Council spokesperson said: "The proposed traffic regulation order for the new double yellow lines was advertised so that the public could comment on it.
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"The purpose of the lines was to keep a cycle route clear for cyclists.
"Two objections were received and considered in May 2020 as part of the legal and democratic process, it was then decided to proceed with the TRO and the lines have been subsequently marked following a further review."
