'Half-on half-off' pavement parking trial hailed a success

Other alternatives considered included double yellow lines "which would have gone down like a lead balloon"

Parking spaces in Bath that are painted half-on and half-off the pavement are being hailed as a success.

The spaces were marked on Caledonian Road in Oldfield Park a few weeks ago, at the suggestion of a councillor.

Before that, motorists had been parking fully on the pavement, causing difficulty for pedestrians.

But some residents are claiming if the cars are parked inconsiderately and outside the marked spaces it makes it more difficult to get in or out.

One driver told the BBC he had not been able to get out on a Saturday morning because too many cars had been shoehorned into the space - leaving no space to manoeuvre.

Bath and North East Somerset Council had previously looked at narrowing the pavements to increase the road width but this was not possible because of the number of utility services underground.

Pipes and cables underneath the pavement would have made it very costly to relocate them

'Lead balloon'

Councillor June Player said she had got the idea after seeing a similar street in Exeter.

The independent member for Westmoreland ward said she was originally not going to put the idea forward but then realised it was the only solution for that section of Caledonian Road.

She said the alternative of losing parking spaces "would have gone down like a lead balloon".

"Previously the cars and vans used to be parked totally on the pavement forcing people in to the road.

"Wheelchair users, people pushing buggies... or anything like that you did not have the room to do that in a safe way."