5 September 2007
Sirs,
I refer to a circular letter dated Sunday 2nd September 2007 from a Bridge Road resident regarding the car parking circumstances in Bridge Road, Winchester Road, and nearby roads.
Whilst pursuits to ensure traffic flow, adequate car parking and pedestrian safety are essential and welcome, the points made in the letter might require further clarification in order for them to be effective.
First, the removal of safe and reasonable car parking spaces by the council is not acceptable. The roads are within a densely populated residential area where the residents are the key matter. Furthermore, there is a school in Winchester Road. The residents require car parking which is provided on the public highway in the ratio of approximately one car per house. Maisonettes and flats within the same property create an overlap leading to further inadequate parking provision although there are some properties with an off street car parking space.
Second, vehicular access must be available near to the roadside in front of each property so that the emergency services can access a property if necessary. For example, in the event of a fire in a house, flat or maisonette, all other residents will wish to have that fire put out in order to secure their own homes. As it is now, an ambulance could not navigate its way around a fire engine in Winchester Road and in the surrounding streets. This is a clear and present danger.
The resident's circular letter is not clear in this regard. It suggests that the extended yellow lines create an excessive amount of open carriageway however excessive open carriageway is not possible in roads which have parking along each side reducing the total width to one vehicle's width!
Thirdly, commercial vehicles will be driving through the roads due to the existence of the industrial estate in Winchester Road. Until the industrial estate is relocated, (and perhaps a housing estate is developed with more than adequate parking on the same site), it is unavoidable that commercial vehicles will be driving through the roads.
What is required is further traffic calming measures along Winchester Road.
Finally, a car parking controlled zone seems inevitable although unwished for. It will provide (i) car parking for residents, and it will provide an opportunity for the council to (i) eliminate non-resident commercial vehicle parking and non-resident commuter parking, (ii) make commercial level charges for resident commercial business parking, (iii) moderate parking generated by the public house in Winchester Road and make charges for the customers choosing to park vehicles, and (iv) provide residents with a free licence to park one car per household in their own road and adjoining roads with a chargeable licence for a second vehicle.
The existing parking arrangements cause danger to (i) pedestrians, who also only have half a pavement to walk along in some roads (not possible with a pram), (ii) vehicles, both parked and travelling, which have to navigate narrow roads and very low visibility periphery and corners, and (iii) the communities in these areas.
Yours faithfully,
A Resident
Winchester Road, Bridge Road, Broadway Avenue area resident
