Motorists in Mansfield are being urged to heed temporary parking restrictions, which will be in force during the OVO Energy Tour of Britain cycle race next month, to avoid the risk of having their vehicles towed away.
The final five miles of the Nottinghamshire stage of the prestigious race, Britain’s largest free sporting event, will pass through the district sometime between 3pm and 4.30pm on Saturday 8 September, and the route will need to be completely free of parked vehicles for the safety of both the competitors and spectators.
People will need to make sure their vehicles are removed from the route by 1pm on the day of the race otherwise they could risk having them lifted and towed away to a compound in the town where they will have to pay a release fee to get them back.
The roads affected are:
* A60 Nottingham Road (section)
* Atkin Lane
* Sheepbridge Lane
* Skegby Lane
* Beck Lane
* Abbott Road
* Chesterfield Road South (section).
Mike Robinson, the council’s Director of Economic Growth, said: “We take safety really seriously. It is vitally important for the safety of the cyclists and spectators that the route is completely free of parked vehicles. We are working with the race organisers who have the requirement for cleared roads, which we need to deliver for a safe event.
“We saw what happened in Retford last year when there was a crash because of a parked car on the route and we don’t want that to happen in Mansfield.”
Around the finishing line of the stage in Mansfield, outside the Civic Centre, there will be road closures in place from 5am to 8pm on race day, affecting Chesterfield Road South, Rosemary Street and Albion Street.
Other surrounding streets will also be affected and residents in the area are being advised to park outside the area if they need to have access to their vehicles.
In Chesterfield Road South, bus routes will be diverted so the public is advised to check with their transport provider before travelling.
Tour of Britain organisers will be delivering leaflets to all homes and businesses on the route and yellow advanced warning signs about the parking restrictions will be posted in the affected streets in the run-up to the event.
Mansfield District Council will also be reminding people about the parking restrictions on its social media pages where there are daily updates about the Tour of Britain between now and race day.
A system of rolling road closures during the race will mean roads along the route will be closed for the 10 to 15 minutes it takes for the race to pass by, but it could take longer if there is a split in the race.
There will be an advance vehicle 15 minutes ahead of the race, keeping people along the route up to date with what is happening. The cyclists are guided along the route by police vehicles and escort motorcyclists.
More details about road closures can be found on the council’s website at www.mansfield.gov.uk/ToB.