PARISHIONERS have vowed to fight on against parking restrictions outside their Bexleyheath church.

Church members say Bexley Council has ignored a 150-name petition from the parochial council at St Peter's Church, in Pickford Lane, objecting to plans to put a complete ban on parking outside the church as part of a road safety scheme.

The council plans to put in pedestrian refuges including one outside the entrance to the church hall along Pickford Lane and Avenue Road and to ban parking in a bid to cut the number of accidents.

Church warden Susan Brooker said the restrictions would stop wedding and funeral parties from parking outside the church (except for the hearse and the main wedding car) and badly affect other activities in the church and church hall.

She said: “Despite our protests, the council has already painted double yellow lines outside the church.

“It appears the council is pushing through these schemes, possibly to spend its money before the end of the financial year, and is taking no account of the views of local residents.”

She said being able to park near the church entrance was important for church members who ferried less able, or elderly parishioners to church activities.

Church members say the parking ban is only necessary because the council has chosen to site one of the refuges by the church entrance.

They say a refuge outside the church is not needed.

Bexley Council says it considered the church's objections before giving the go-ahead to the plan.

It has extended the short-stay parking spaces to cover two hours instead of one and says there is parking space available in nearby streets.

People displaying disabled person badges can park for up to three hours as long as they are parked safely. It also said parking outside the church caused obstruction to traffic.

Church members have now contacted the Department of Transport to see if there is any way of challenging the decision.