No-stopping zone imposed right outside church

However, Darlington Borough Council has promised to review the situation following complaints from the Reverend Tjarda Murray, of the Northgate United Reformed Church, in the town.

The scheme was brought in several years ago, but after initial concerns were raised, the signs were removed.

But recently the no stopping signs were reinstalled, with Ms Murray at a loss to explain why. She said: “To make it non-loading is totally absurd.

“Last time they agreed and took the signs down. Now they are back for no apparent reason.”

Ms Murray said hearses and bridal cars would run the risk of punishment rather than disrupt services by parking elsewhere.

But she said the elderly and disabled members of the congregation will have to park 200 metres away, across a busy route into Darlington.

Following the ban on parking and subsequently waiting outside the front of the church, new restrictions have banned parking in Chesnut Street, which runs along the side of the church. Ms Murray said: “We spent £30,000 making our church disabled friendly, and more or less the week the work finished, they slap all these lines down.

“It has just made the work of our church in the community nearly impossible.”

The council imposed the restrictions outside the church because of the introduction of a bus lane. But Ms Murray said the only stretch of the bus lane to have a no waiting restriction was the section outside her church.

A council spokeswoman said officers had met members of the church to discuss their concerns about parking and loading.

She said: “Amendments are being considered to allow hearses to park in the vicinity of the church, and we also propose to undertake a review of the restrictions in the area to try and address the concerns.

“Free one-hour short-stay parking and paid-for long-stay parking is available in the immediate vicinity of Northgate and Chesnut Street, and blue badge holders are able to park on double yellow lines in the area for up to three hours.”