Funeral hearses are being forced to park in the middle of the road outside St Anne's Church in Edge Hill because newly installed parking bays are not being enforced, leaving mourners distressed.
The church, located just 10 minutes from Liverpool city centre, has seen parking problems worsen since Liverpool City Council installed three-hour maximum stay bays outside its entrance on Overbury Street four weeks ago. Despite the restrictions, cars are being left in the bays for 24 hours a day with no enforcement action taken.
Parishioner calls for action
Parishioner John Doyle, who campaigned for the restricted bays, told the ECHO: "There never seems to be any officers managing the situation, so people are now just parking there all day because they think no one will come to issue them a ticket."
The lack of monitoring has severely impacted access during funerals and weddings, with funeral cars unable to park outside the church entrance. "Consequently, the funeral cars have to park in the middle of the road, which is not very nice for the mourners," Doyle explained.
Priest echoes concerns
Father Peter Morgan, the parish priest, echoed these concerns, stating: "There's little point in having restricted parking if it is not monitored." He noted the church hosts two to three funerals weekly, making access crucial for mourners.
The ECHO has seen photographs showing the same cars parked in bays across different days, as well as images of funeral corteges parked in the road due to occupied spaces.
Council response
Liverpool City Council acknowledged the concerns and said enforcement officers work across the city, with vehicles breaking parking restrictions potentially receiving penalty charge notices.
