Barton Common’s new car park barriers will stay yellow for safety reasons, New Milton Town Council rules after committees’ split opinion

A BEAUTY spot’s new car park barriers will keep their bright yellow colour for safety reasons, New Milton councillors resolved.

The decision came after the town council’s finance and general purposes committee rejected the amenities committee’s recommendation to repaint the Barton Common barriers green.

As reported in the A&T, a resident had written in saying the bright yellow colour “completely stands out against the trees and ecological environment”.

But council estates and facilities manager Mark Jeffries pointed out most barriers were yellow for health and safety reasons.

Cllr Steve Clarke also expressed concerns at the F&GP meeting that the council could be liable for any collision insurance claims if the colour was changed.

F&GP chairman Cllr Neil Tungate told the full council meeting: “It was a fairly quick decision.

“We all agreed the car park barriers were yellow for safety reasons, and the amenities chairman [Cllr Geoffrey Blunden] agreed with us.”

Cllr Blunden, who had not attended the meeting at which the recommendation was made, concurred.

He reiterated his statement from the F&GP meeting that if he had been there, he would have called for the barriers to remain the same colour.

Cllr Clarke’s proposal that the barriers be kept their yellow colour was supported by a majority vote, with only Cllr Judith Baker being against.