SAFETY fears have been raised after new parking bays appeared in Tatton Street after road resurfacing works concluded on Wednesday evening.

The new row of short-stay spaces stretch from the Lord Eldon to Green Street, on the opposite side of the road to the pre-existing Tatton Street spaces opposite Laura Ashley.

With motorists already struggling to pass the existing spaces – allegedly mounting the pavement to get through the queue – concerns are that the new ‘chicane’-style passage puts pedestrians further at risk.

Peter Hargreaves, the taxi driver behind Independent Cab Co, said: “The parking on Tatton Street should be taken away if anything, not more put in.

“It’s gone from a double yellow line to suddenly being able to park there. Safety has not been taken into consideration, with crossing the road and things like that.

“Cars mount the pavement at Laura Ashley all the time because cars can’t get past it.

“There are going to be kids waiting behind cars to try and dart across the road – I think there is going to be a serious accident.”

As well as potential danger to pedestrians, motorists could face further queues in the town centre’s narrow streets.

The new spaces are described in the CEC ‘notice of making’ order as running from 21m south of Green Street for a distance of 29.5m.

They will be subject to the same one hour free parking limits as the existing Tatton Street spaces between Monday and Saturday, 8am and 6pm, with no return within one hour.