The Council of the Isles of Scilly has been working with Devon & Cornwall Police to set out a clear plan to address concerns about on-street parking on St Mary’s. This follows reports to both organisations of vehicles parked in ways that caused obstructions on the road, making it difficult for drivers and other road users to pass safely.
Report to Full Council - 16 December 2025
The parking issues were discussed by Councillors in December 2025. They resolved to progress a range of measures to prioritise public safety and improve the experience of all road users on St Mary’s.
Councillors approved the following recommendations:
- The direction of travel for tackling problematic on-street parking and delivering safer streets, to include physical adaptations to the highways and footways in priority locations across St Mary’s.
- The continuation of work to progress a Community Led Hugh Street in consultation with the community.
- Officers to work with the Department for Transport to seek and bid for funding to support and deliver strategic highway improvements that support Active Travel initiatives and deal with problematic on-street parking at priority locations across St Mary’s.
- Officers to explore other funding solutions, which may come from national programmes that support Economic Growth or Public Realm Improvements, that can be used to support the works.
- Members and Officers continue to work in collaboration with Devon & Cornwall Police to ensure that enforcement of parking offences is actioned across St Mary’s by the Police and to more broadly work with, and support, the Council in its direction of travel for safer streets.
- The Chairman of Council to write to the Chief Constable and the Police and Crime Commissioner of the Devon & Cornwall Police to seek their support to enforce parking offences as part of this coordinated approach to solving on street parking issues on St Marys.
Actions agreed by both organisations
As a result of the Full Council resolutions, the Council of the Isles of Scilly and Devon & Cornwall Police have agreed to progress the following actions:
- The Council will consider options and associated costs of a full review of its existing Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) which govern parking restrictions, such as parking spaces and yellow lines, to ensure they are clear, up-to-date and enforceable. This will include a mandatory period of public and partnership consultation which will allow any issues to be raised and considered as part of the review. This is a legal process and will take time to conclude.
- Once the new TROs are approved, and associated lines and signage are in place, Devon & Cornwall Police will be look to enforce these by way of driver education, verbal and written warnings and, where necessary and proportionate, prosecution of repeat or persistent parking breaches.
- Both organisations will work with residents and visitors to raise awareness of safe and considerate parking. The aim is to help people understand the impact that poor parking can have, particularly on emergency access, pedestrians, and those with additional needs.
Cllr Robert Francis, Lead Member for Economy, Tourism and Transport, Council of the Isles of Scilly, said: “I have listened to, and shared, the community's concerns about on-street parking on St Mary’s for some time now, so I’m delighted to be able to confirm that we have agreed a direction of travel with Devon & Cornwall Police, who share our commitment to improving public safety. I’m grateful to the Chief Constable of the Force, our Police and Crime Commissioner and our local police team for persevering in this effort with us. I hope everyone in the community will support us by making safe and considerate choices, both before and after the actions we have identified have been taken.”
Chief Superintendent Scott Bradley, Police Commander for Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly said: “We recognise the importance of getting this right for the community and we welcome this collaborative approach to addressing these longstanding issues. Our focus will be on improving the parking picture through community engagement, working closely with the Council to improve safety for residents and visitors alike. This is particularly important throughout the busy summer months.”
Things to remember when parking
Anyone parking a vehicle is reminded of the following:
- do not park where parking restrictions such as single and double yellow lines are in force
- consider whether you will cause problems for people with physical disabilities and those with buggies or wheelchairs
- do not park in front of emergency service access points
- only park on one side of the road in narrow streets
- do not park too close to corners, junctions or traffic calming measures
Thank you for your cooperation and support.
Next steps
Further updates will be shared as work progresses.