Published Date:
24 June 2009
ANGRY residents who say they are sick of drivers parking outside their homes have formed a pressure group.
Around 20 people from Dorchester Road, Windsor Road and Moss Lane packed the public seating area at last week's Garstang Town Council meeting to complain about motorists who block the pavements.
Residents' spokesperson Anthony Berry, 68, of Dorchester Road, blames the introduction of parking charges in Garstang for the problem, saying that Wyre Borough Council has "walked away from the consequences".
He has asked Garstang Town Council to publicise the fact that workers can buy council parking permits for £19 per month.
But the residents are aiming for restricted parking zones between 8am and 6pm.
Following the meeting, which was attended by county highways officer Glenn Robinson, Mr Berry told the Courier: "The problem is on-street parking, mainly by people that work in Garstang and are there all day.
"Half of them park on the footpath and half on the road, so that single file traffic can get through.
"People also have difficulty getting out of their own drives – they are not parking over driveways, that is being respected, but it is hard to get out when people are parking on both sides of the road.
"In turn all this is creating problems for people getting access down the footpaths.
"There are people in wheelchairs and mobility scooters that go down the road regularly, and they are really having difficulties, especially when bins are out as well."
The campaign first started when 84-year-old resident Olive Gordon knocked from house to house to rally support.
Mr Berry, who has lived on Dorchester Road for 17 years, says the residents have even suffered abuse from parkers. In one incident, a severely disabled resident fell in the bath and an ambulance was called.
When the paramedics arrived they were forced to stop in the middle of the road and Mr Berry claims that drivers trying to get past shouted abuse at them.
He explained: "If you say anything, you get abuse. It's disgusting.
"When we first came here nobody parked down this road. Moss Lane and Windsor Road have always been slightly problematic, but Dorchester Road has become much worse in the last 12 months.
"We are very worried that when the new Booths opens Dorchester Road will become a through-road into the car park and the problem will be exacerbated."
Mr Robinson told residents they could also pay for white lines to be painted outside their driveways – at a cost of £74.
Sergeant Nicki Bignell says that a leaflet drop will be carried out and, if cars are causing an obstruction, they will give them tickets.
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Last Updated:
24 June 2009 10:49 AM
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Source:
n/a
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Location:
Garstang