OUT of town car parks, hi-tech road signs and width restrictions could provide solutions to Lyme Regis’ traffic jams.

Town councillors were joined by Police and Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill and Dorset County Council traffic group manager Matthew Piles at a high level meeting seeking ways to relieve the chaos which engulfs the town in summer.

Frustrated councillors said one of the main reasons for traffic in the town was because of motorists parking on double yellow lines and not moving, resulting in huge tailbacks.

Mr Piles told a planning and highways committee that one of the areas the county council is looking at is the introduction of on-street parking for one hour, small short-stay car parks in town and larger out of town car parks for longer stays.

Mr Piles said: “It is all about directing traffic and providing options. You have to give drivers the option of going into town and queuing for a car park or stay out of town and maybe utilise a park and ride. What we are looking into is getting electronic signage with cameras on them, providing us with live feeds of car parks and traffic, and then we can relay that information onto the signs, informing the drivers.

“If town car parks are full or they are aware it is short stay, nine times out of ten they will try to avoid that area.”

Other issues discussed include a crackdown on illegal parking and delivery vehicles causing blockages in the town centre. One option suggested was more loading bays where lorries could pull into, allowing traffic to flow in both directions. One location could be outside Tesco.

To general agreement, chairman Coun Anita Williams said: “For this to work properly, we need better management of the parking. If there is no enforcement, it will not get any better, we need a person to do it properly and give out tickets where needed.”

Mr Piles said he heard the message ‘loud and clear’, and the council would work closely with the police and the town council on enforcement. Mr Underhill also confirmed he would be reviewing PCSO powers, potentially giving them the power to remove illegally parked vehicles. The frequent problems in Church Street caused by large vehicles trying to pass each other were also raised.

Coun Jill Newton pointed out that at its narrowest point, Church Street is only 12 feet wide. She said: “There are signs entering Lyme Regis regarding weight restrictions, but we should really add width restrictions as well.

“At that point, it is just an accident waiting to happen.” Mr Piles pledged to help solve the traffic chaos in Lyme Regis, and said he would keep the town council updated on any further developments. But town resident and former councillor Stan Williams said he had had seen it all before.

“We did something similar 12 years ago in compiling a report on the town’s traffic problems. Nothing has been done from that report and it appears that it was just chucked in the bin,” he said.