lorer85
Registered user
Global user
Registered: 10-2006
Posts: 9
Karma: 0 (+0/-0)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
On-street Parking
Local residents, councillors and schools are concerned that the number of people parking in side streets in Melksham’s town centre is increasing.
Melksham town councillor, and manager of the Melksham Tourist Information Centre in Church Street, Terri Welch, said parking has become a problem throughout the town centre. She said she has received complaints from many local residents, including those of Orchard Gardens, Thornbank and Ruskin Avenue, who are unable to park near their own homes.
She said that the problem has worsened since West Wiltshire District Council changed the parking system in September 2006 to provide one-hour free parking in Church Street car park, with no other car parks in Melksham having this facility.
“This has resulted in more cars entering Church Street and the resultant traffic congestion,” she said. “Residential streets around the centre are also being used for all-day parking by people working in town and reluctant to pay car parking charges.
“Church Street is very bad because people park indiscriminately in stupid places with no consideration for other people. This often means that people cannot enter or exit, so it blocks up the street and causes queues through town, sometimes up to the petrol garage on King Street.”
Cllr Welch said that this is causing problems for the emergency services. Recently she said she has seen two fire engines ‘go tearing down’ Church Walk, but they were forced to halt as they could not get down. She said the engines had to get two or three cars to move before one could enter.
Cllr Welch said parking has also become a major problem on Ruskin Avenue, which serves Brookside and The Manor School. “I cycle in to work every morning and come in through Ruskin Avenue,” she said. “Eighteen months ago there would be nothing there, just perhaps the odd car, but now the cars are almost nose to nose.”
She said this is causing problems as it is a long and fairly narrow road which only has one tight lane if cars park on one side of the road. This means if two cars start travelling down the road there is nowhere to go, and she warned that there has already been some near misses.
She added that residents of the bungalows have complained about the verges being chewed up as heavy vehicles servicing Brookside have to use the verges because they are unable to get through, due to parked cars. “The mud is deposited on the pavement rendering it slippy and dirty; people with mobility scooters or even shopping trolleys have to wash their wheels before entering their homes,” she said.
Cllr Welch said she has also been approached by the headteacher of the Manor School, who has told her that the school is suffering from the amount of cars parking on Ruskin Avenue. Cllr Welch said the school has made extra provision for cars, told parents they need to be strict about not parking outside, and asked parents to be extra vigilant, but still at least two children have nearly been hit by traffic passing down the narrow lane.
“Do we have to wait for a bad accident, either involving cars, or heaven forbid a child before anything is done?” she said.
Cllr Welch said the solution would be to bring back one hour’s free parking at Lowbourne car park. “We need all the central car parking that we can, but we would rather it be on the perimeter of the centre so that people can park and walk into the town,” she said.
Cllr Welch is calling for Melksham Town Council to take action to try to put pressure on those who can make a difference. “I do feel that it is up to us, as town councillors to try to improve parking, or at least make the police respond,” she said.
Brian Warwick, county representative for Mobilise, a national body which represents people with disabilities, and resident of Orchard Gardens, said on-street parking and abuse of disabled parking bays in car parks is causing real problems for less mobile people in Melksham. He said he has contacted the Wiltshire Constabulary and West Wiltshire District Council pointing out a number of problems.
“The key problem is that there are quite a number of motorists parking in the side streets, often on double yellow lines and blocking dropped verges, which means that people with motorised scooters can’t get up into their premises,” he said.
Louise Knox, spokesperson for West Wiltshire District Council said, “We had discussions with the town council about free parking in the town before we made the changes.
“We monitor the parking situation in all the towns, and if specific concerns are raised with us by the town council we can look into that.”
She said that the district council’s plan to take over responsibility for enforcing on-street parking from spring 2008, which was announced recently, will make it easier to monitor the parking situation in the town centre.
“When we take on the enforcement of on-street car parking the parking situation will be re-visited once again, but nothing can be done now as we are looking at a more joined-up approach next year.
“If we are responsible for on-street and off-street parking it will be easier to monitor if off-street parking is impacting the on-street. But as we are currently only responsible for one half of the equation at the moment that is difficult to do.”
The introduction of decriminalised parking enforcement in west Wiltshire follows similar schemes being launched elsewhere in the county. The district council is currently in discussion with Wiltshire County Council over the scheme’s finances to ensure that the agency arrangements are affordable.
The next stage will see the district council applying to the Department of Transport, in conjunction with Wiltshire County Council, for the relevant powers to create a special parking area and permitted parking area. This will allow for the eventual introduction of residents’ - or permit only - parking zones by autumn 2010. The district council hope that on-street parking charges - or metered parking - will follow the next year.
Louise Knox said they will be looking at putting residents’ parking zones in particular areas that could benefit, such as narrow lanes, and eventually will look at pay and display on-street parking zones.
Until these responsibilities are handed over, enforcement will continue to be the responsibility of the police. Steve Cox, neighbourhood beat sergeant for Melksham and Bradford on Avon, said he could not find any recent complaints on file regarding on-street parking, yet he said the police will act if vehicles are seen parking illegally without good reason.
What do you think? Do you think parking in the streets is getting worse in the town centre? If so why?
|
|
3/20/2007, 9:12 am
|
Send Email to lorer85
Send PM to lorer85
|
springchicken
Registered user
Global user
Registered: 03-2006
Posts: 237
Karma: 7 (+7/-0)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: On-street Parking
Its got much much worse since the silly fools decided to put the free parking in Church street,therfore blocking up the town and taking it away from the library car park......where incidentally I used to park to pick up my children when I got the free hour,no longer,as I dont see why I should pay 40p to pick up my children.
The parking on the street in church street is terrible,I cannot remember a time when it hasnt been bad recently,not that long ago I was parked there when a huge loory was attempting to turn in the car park and get back onto the high street,of course due to all the cars parked on the street it soon got out of control and caused problems throughout the town an in the end the police had to be called to divert the traffic .
Time to put the free parking back in the library car park an free up the traffic in town.
|
|
3/21/2007, 6:45 pm
|
Send PM to springchicken
|
silversurfer4
Registered user
Global user
Registered: 03-2007
Posts: 2
Karma: -1 (+0/-1)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: On-street Parking
I assume that spring chicken thinks that their child is worth less than 40p.What if the school was on fire, children were trapped and the fire engine couldn't get there because of parked cars waiting to pick up.
The same situation happens in the market place where cars park outside of the marked bays by the gents hairdresser meaning emergency vehicles can't get to the swimming pool or melksham house. Car drivers think they own the roads.
|
|
3/29/2007, 11:06 am
|
Send Email to silversurfer4
Send PM to silversurfer4
|
springchicken
Registered user
Global user
Registered: 03-2006
Posts: 237
Karma: 7 (+7/-0)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: On-street Parking
quote:
silversurfer4 wrote:
I assume that spring chicken thinks that their child is worth less than 40p.What if the school was on fire, children were trapped and the fire engine couldn't get there because of parked cars waiting to pick up.
The same situation happens in the market place where cars park outside of the marked bays by the gents hairdresser meaning emergency vehicles can't get to the swimming pool or melksham house. Car drivers think they own the roads.
Im afraid you assumed wrong,just because I refuse to pay 40p to do a school pick up doesnt automatically mean that I park outside the school to pick my children,nor does it mean that my children arent worth the 40p........apart from that I actually agree with you re your other points.
Oh and I would also like to point out that its not 40p ,its 80p a day(cos its 2 trips),that works out at £4.00 a week,and Im afraid I also have a health condition that means I cant walk far yet dont yet class myself as in need of a blue badge.
So nothing to do with what I think my children are worth......I take offence to that comment.
I actually think you will find that it isnt the cars that are waiting to pick up that are causing the problem,but the amount of cars that are now using Ruskin Avenue and also Thackery crescent as a free car park all day.I feel very sorry for the people who live in Thackery crescent,they must be at their wits end,not being able to park outside their own properties.
My original point was that I think that the car parking should be free for an hour in the library car park and the 40p should be payable in the church street car park.....therefore freeing up the traffic in town.
|
|
3/29/2007, 4:02 pm
|
Send PM to springchicken
|
Hyacinth bucket
Registered user
Global user
Registered: 04-2007
Posts: 4
Karma: 0 (+0/-0)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: On-street Parking
I quite agree with what has been said,the parking in Ruskin Avenue is a complete and utter nightmare,this road is a no go area in the morning and afternoons,but as long as iv'e lived in melksham this road has been like this,and with having more children on this school site, since it merged with St Michaels,is not going to get any better,it will take an accident, like always, until something is done about it,i can never under stand why this site was chosen for the manor school in the first place!!
|
|
4/5/2007, 1:24 pm
|
Send Email to Hyacinth bucket
Send PM to Hyacinth bucket
|
HellDeathFury
Registered user
Global user
Registered: 09-2006
Posts: 4
Karma: -1 (+0/-1)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: On-street Parking
As a resident in Church walk i've lost patience with people who continually dodge the traffic wardon. They parking down our tiny street while they nip off to the post office, or into the Church rooms. The same goes for those that are too lazy to park in the "iceland" car park around the corner and who instead prefer to suffocate Cannon Square and Church Street causing endless tailbacks and making me late. I can understand there are certain instances when it appears preferable to park outside a shop e.g. deliveries, but having lived here for 15 years i'm well aware that most of the shops in Cannon Square and church street have rear access which they "prefer" not to use.
Unfortunately i have no time for people that cut corners and certainly have no problem with remnoving wing mirrors or doors should they get in the way of me getting to work or coming home.
|
|
4/10/2007, 4:09 pm
|
Send Email to HellDeathFury
Send PM to HellDeathFury
|
Add a reply
Powered by AkBBS 0.9.5b - Link to us
- Blogs
- Hall of Honour
- Chat
Click here to get your own free message board
|
You are not logged in (login)
Board's time is: 11/25/2009, 6:03 pm
|
|
|
