Cornwall councillor calls for countywide action over faded yellow lines
A Reform UK councillor is calling for Cornwall Council to take countywide action over faded yellow lines, warning that worn road markings are creating safety risks and making parking enforcement difficult.
Cllr Keith Johnson, who represents Saltash Tamar, raised concerns last year about faded yellow lines in Berry Park, Saltash, which he said had become almost invisible.
He said the poor condition of the markings was leading to unsafe parking and making enforcement impossible.
Cllr Johnson has now tabled a motion for next week’s full Cornwall Council meeting, calling on the Liberal Democrat and Independent coalition cabinet to review how road markings are inspected, maintained and renewed across the Duchy.
He said: “Current arrangements are demonstrably ineffective and produce inconsistent outcomes.
“The absence of a clear risk-based escalation framework, combined with contradictory service responses and delayed remedial action, exposes the council to reputational and litigation risk, and – most critically – continues to compromise public safety.
“This motion seeks to address those failures systematically.”
The motion, due to be discussed on Tuesday, May 19, asks the cabinet to carry out a comprehensive review of Cornwall’s current inspection, maintenance and renewal programme for road markings.
It also calls for priority to be given to repainting or reinstating markings where deterioration presents “a clear road safety risk” or prevents effective parking enforcement.
Areas highlighted include junctions, school safety zones, pedestrian crossings, cycle infrastructure and locations affected by persistent illegal or dangerous parking.
The motion has been seconded by fellow Reform UK councillor Sean Smith. It is also supported by eight other Reform councillors, one Green Party councillor and one Conservative.
Responding to the motion, Matt Philips, Cornwall Council’s head of infrastructure and resilience, said renewing yellow lines remained “an important activity”.
He said clear and well-maintained lines were essential to make sure parking restrictions are visible, legally enforceable and consistently followed.
However, he said yellow line renewal had sometimes taken a lower priority than other highway safety work.
Mr Philips said: “While lining renewal has been a valid area of expenditure for many years, it has, like other routine activities such as weed treatment, at times taken a lower priority when balanced against more pressing highway safety requirements, particularly those associated with higher-risk defects and locations.”
He added that all defects are assessed and dealt with in line with the council’s Highway Maintenance Manual.
Mr Philips said officers had taken “a highly proactive and agreeable approach” to responding to growing demand.
Funding for yellow line renewal is set to increase significantly in the 2026/27 financial year, rising from £40,000 to £225,000.
Mr Philips said this represented “a substantial year-on-year uplift and a clear commitment to addressing the concerns raised”.
But he also warned that the estimated backlog for yellow lining remains around £2 million.
He said clearing that backlog quickly would require funding above the current highways allocation and would need to be considered through future budget-setting processes.
The council has also increased investment in white lining and road studs to £1.25 million over the past two financial years, following asset management work with Cormac subcontractors.
Mr Philips said those white lining assets were considered higher risk than yellow lining and that prioritising them had supported better road safety outcomes and wider network resilience.
He added: “The council recognises the concerns raised within the motion and can confirm that meaningful action is already under way.
“However, officers also acknowledge a level of uncertainty as to how the detailed workings and internal prioritisation of highways budgets are communicated to, and understood by, members during the budget-setting process.”