Double yellow lines cannot be painted along a street in Ely where a new Wetherspoons pub had hoped to open. 

Cambridgeshire County Council has refused the application to introduce a no waiting at any time restriction along St Mary’s Street. 

The authority said removing the existing 30-minute waiting period allowed outside 24 St Mary’s Street between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Saturday, would have a “negative impact on nearby businesses”. 

A report published by the county council said the waiting restriction was being considered to address one of the issues raised with converting 24 St Mary’s Street into a Wetherspoons pub. 

A planning application from the pub chain to open in the building was refused by East Cambridgeshire District Council in 2021. 

One of the reasons given at the time was that the plans failed to provide “adequate facilities for the unloading and loading of vehicles in the servicing of the proposed use”. 

The district council said this could lead to on-street parking and obstruction of the highway, which could cause “significant and demonstrable harm to road users”. 

The report published by the county council said one option that had been put forward to address the issue and allow space for deliveries, was to amend the current parking restrictions outside the building, from the 30-minute period, to no waiting at any time. 

However, this proposal was objected to by the City of Ely Council, which said the change would “put an even greater strain” on the city’s ability to “provide sufficient spaces” for people. 

The owners of the dental practice next door to 24 St Mary’s Street also objected to the change.  

They said many of their patients who were elderly, infirm, or had children, needed to be able to access the building easily by being dropped off outside. 

They said the existing parking was in “regular use on a daily basis”. 

The waiting restriction was considered by the county council’s acting traffic manager, Richard Ling, and Cllr Piers Coutts. 

They decided to refuse the traffic order, stating that removing the 30-minute wait time on that stretch of road would have a “negative impact on nearby business”. 

The decision report published by the county council also highlighted that the planning process and the traffic regulation order process are separate from each other. 

It said: “Any changes to parking restrictions outside no. 24 St Mary’s Street does not necessarily have a bearing on the determination of the planning application, although providing loading/servicing capability would remove one of the reasons for the earlier refusal. 

“Crucially, it was felt that the implementation of double yellow lines outside no. 24 St Mary’s Street would not necessarily mean that loading space would generally be available when needed. 

“This is because the space could legitimately be used by frequently parked blue badge holders for up to three hours. 

“Hence, it was considered that the proposed changes would not achieve the stated objective. 

“In conclusion, it was resolved that the proposal is not the right solution. It is suggested that the applicant reconsiders the matter and seeks to find a suitable solution by discussing further with Cambridgeshire County Council’s highways development management team.”