Double yellow lines which have made a narrow Chatham street more difficult to drive down were painted after just one person made a request.

People living in St Leonards Avenue say it has made a bad situation worse. Several have complained to Medway Council.

Despite objections from those living in and around St Leonards Avenue, the council installed the lines at the junction of St Leonards Avenue and Parham Road at the beginning of the year.

Philip Sheppard, of St Leonards Avenue, says a letter from a member of the council’s traffic management team states they were installed after one person requested them.

He said: “Why on earth move the world for just one person?

“Residents’ parking is even more restricted. St Leonards Avenue has lost one to two parking spaces and Parham Road two to three. Instead of improving things, Medway Council has only succeeded in exacerbating the situation."

“At the moment, parking is staggered, making it difficult at times for two cars to get past.”

A spokesman for Medway Council said: “One person may have brought the problem of unsafe parking to the council’s attention, but this would have been followed up by a site visit by a council officer who would have decided whether anything needed to be done.”

He added that the council would be willing to consider suggestions for one-way roads or further yellow lines.

See Friday's print edition of the Medway Messenger for full story