Warwick residents hit out at ongoing parking problems

In 2015 The Courier ran a story about the residents in the Weston Close, which is in the St John’s area raising concerns about dangerous parking.

John Carroll, 63, who lives in Weston Close and Arthur Harvey, who lives in St John’s Court says the issue is still ongoing.

Mr Carroll said: “Since 2015 we have been contacting police, Warwickshire County Council and Warwick District Council, to get the illegal parking stopped. We have asked for various meetings and gone to all the authorities who have refused to deal with the issue.

“Our estate has mostly elderly and disabled people living here and a lot of people try to use the footpaths with wheelchairs and disabled buggies but they can’t.

“There are tactile drop kerbs in place and people use them as launch pads to park their car on the path. Also a number of disabled people have carers and carers are spending five to ten minutes trying to park.

Mr Carroll also believes that people parking in the area are connected to the businesses nearby.

He said: “It feels as if they are putting business rate payers first above the safety of elderly and disabled people. No action is being taken and its the same culprits who park there all the time. It’s inconsiderate parking.

“We have now spoken to MP Matt Western. We need double yellow lines around the drop kerbs and resident only parking. Weston Close is part of an off-street parking order and all other streets in this same order like Linen Street and The Butts have permit parking but they won’t activate it for us.”

A spokesperson from Warwick District Council said: “Warwickshire County Council holds responsibility for the on-street parking in this area, however the district council owns a number of parking bays in Weston Close. Following complaints from residents about parking issues we undertook a consultation with residents in July 2017, with three options to help address the issues; improved signage; controlled parking scheme and no work.

“75 per cent of respondents supported improved signage. Work was undertaken in February 2018 and involved marking the bays and writing ‘residents only’ on the road surface.

“At the same the council added additional parking spaces in Weston Close. Although we believe these works have helped, we will be undertaking a further review in the next few months.”

A spokesperson from Warwickshire County Council said: “Local authorities outside London and within England do not currently have the power to either enforce pavement parking or enforce obstruction.

“These are not enforceable under current legislation.

“Where a single or double yellow line is in place these normally apply from the centre of the carriageway to the building line, and can apply to the pavement and verge where the Traffic Regulation Order covers extent of the area.”

Warwickshire Police were also contacted for a comment.