Parking Restrictions

Some residents have expressed concerns about notices in the area near Castle College about a planning application by the Council to impose prohibition of waiting and loading on many of the local streets.What is happening is that restrictions are being planned to stop cars parking near the junctions of these roads to improve road safety and disabled access.

As a member of staff at Castle College I recently received this email.

A residents story…….

“I live locally and have to travel down Granville Road in my wheelchair in order to get to town/the station/bus terminus etc.

Prior to leaving my home I start to develop butterflies because I dread that my path will be blocked by the way cars are parked on the local roads.

Three times in recent weeks as I have tried to squeeze between the cars and have fallen, the last time I fell on to the offending car hurting my knee.

The dropped kerbs on the corner of the roads that link Granville also get blocked which means that wheelchair-users cannot get past and sometimes I have to go back home!

I gave up again this week and have decided that apart from my voluntary work which I do on Fridays, I intend to stay at home because the challenge of the journeys is making me unhappy”

Clearly it is very important that something is done to improve this situation.

The Highway Code says
DO NOT stop or park

* near a school entrance
* anywhere you would prevent access for Emergency Services
* at or near a bus or tram stop or taxi rank
* on the approach to a level crossing/tramway crossing
* opposite or within 10 metres (32 feet) of a junction, except in an authorised parking space
* near the brow of a hill or hump bridge
* opposite a traffic island or (if this would cause an obstruction) another parked vehicle
* where you would force other traffic to enter a tram lane
* where the kerb has been lowered to help wheelchair users and powered mobility vehicles
* in front of an entrance to a property
* on a bend
* where you would obstruct cyclists’ use of cycle facilities except when forced to do so by stationary traffic

So many vehicles are already regularly breaking the code. My particular nightmare when driving at the moment is turning right into Granville Road from Fitzwalter Road. There is often a big white van parked right on the corner, obscuring the view of traffic coming up Granville Road. By the time you can see what’s coming you are in the middle of the road! It’s an accident waiting to happen.

The roads affected by the new plans are Claywood Drive, Donnington Road, Essex Rd,Farm Bank Rd,Fitzwalter Rd,Granville Rd,Glencoe Rd, Holdings Rd, Ingram Rd, Norfolk Park Dr, Norfolk Rd, Park Grange Rd, Seabrook Rd, Park Grange Croft, Stafford Rd, Stafford Lane and Tylney Rd.

You can view the plans at the Central Library. Objections must be in by 31st October.

Although I am generally supportive of the plans there may be some problems in the detail- do let me know if you notice anything. One thing that has concerned me is the lack of consultation. Why wasn’t this mentioned at the recent Area Panel meeting? Why are there so few notices? (The only ones I have seen have been on Stafford Road).When it all seems to be so secretive it is no wonder residents get suspicious.