Parking restrictions cannot be implemented on a busy residential street in Taunton – because no-one has died or been injured there.

Heavitree Way lies to the north of the railway line in Taunton, just off the A358 Priorswood Road and within walking distance of both the railway station and Somerset County Cricket Club.

Councillor Tom Deakin (whose Taunton North division includes the street) called on Somerset Council to put down double-yellow lines and carry out enforcement to reduce the “significant danger” to pedestrians and motorists.

But the council responded that this was “not a priority” due to the lack of collisions recorded in the area, and its parking services team did not have the resources to look into this matter.

Mr Deakin – who also serves as leader of Taunton Town Council – made his plea when the full council met in Bridgwater on September 26.

He said: “The Heavitree Way estate has experienced parking issues for a number of years.

“These largely take the form of vehicles parking on corners (particularly around Compton Close), parking too close to the junction with Priorswood Road, parking opposite the entrance to Compton Close and parking over dropped kerbs.

“This is exacerbated in this particular area, given its proximity to both the railway station and cricket ground.

“I have seen first-hand the significant danger this situation is posing – indeed, I had a near miss only the other day while on foot in the area.”

Mr Deakin said previous efforts to resolve these problems “just weren’t satisfactory” and called the council to take action to protect local residents.

He said: “I don’t believe a full resident’s parking consultation is necessary nor desired by the residents.

“Some simple double yellow lines and enforcement would help to mitigate the problem.

“It is essential we take action before an incident occurs, not in response to one happening as is so often the case.”

Councillor Richard Wilkins, portfolio holder for transport and waste services, apologised for the lack of action to date but said the road was not a priority due to inadequate resources and a lack of “injury collisions” in the area.

Mr Wilkins – who represents the Curry Rivel and Langport division – said: “We carefully prioritise our highways works in line with the limited budget available, and this involves making some difficult decisions to make sure our resources are directed where there is clear evidence of safety or congestion issues.

“We’ve checked our records, and fortunately there have been no injury collisions within this area; therefore, a parking review is not a priority for the council.

“Our parking services team has limited capacity, and their primary focus is to ensure that the service is fulfilling its statutory duties and making the changes to parking services necessary to achieve a balanced budget.

“Unfortunately, the team is currently not able to consider any new requests for amendments to the parking restrictions or residential parking reviews.”