THERE is always issues with parking in Cirencester, but usually they are about freeing up space to park.

With the case of Somerford Road bridge, a long-running campaign, spearheaded by local councillor Joe Harris, has sought to reduce danger to pedestrians and other motorists along the notorious stretch by stopping cars parking there.

However, the county council’s failure to properly prepare for the painting of the double yellow lines temporarily left the road with a sizeable gap as cars were still parked there when contractors arrived.

They did resist the urge to simply paint around the vehicles – as appears to happen in some cases around the world before photos go viral on social media – and instead cones and a notice were put in place in preparation for the conclusion of the work, undertaken on Wednesday.

The mishap, while easily corrected, doesn’t bode well for any road changes which might need to come in if the proposed 2,350-home estate is accepted on nearby Chesterton farm.