Crescent is 'back to front' with cars on path and people in road

April 02 2019

Reference your article in St Peter’s Voice (March 2019) re cars obstructing pavements.

St Dunstan's Crescent is a back-to-front road. The cars park on the pavements and the pedestrians – including schoolchildren, a local motor scooter user and parents with pushchairs – walk in the road. Cars speed along the narrow gap left in the road, taking little heed of the pedestrians. It is dangerous.

Cars park right up to and on junctions at either end of The Hill Avenue (Bath Road), preventing safe access and egress because they block the line of sight and they physically block turning lines. Isn’t there something in the Highway Code about not parking within 15 metres of a junction?

I live on St Dunstan's Crescent and, thankfully, have a drive. However, others park right up to the drive and often over part of the access across the pavement. They also park opposite. Sometimes this thoughtless parking prevents me from getting my car in and out of the drive. Generally it just makes it very hard to see oncoming traffic, cyclists or pedestrians as I edge out. Often it takes several shunts back and forth to manoeuvre in and out. Is this fair or reasonable?

Many of the cars belong to non-residents and some are left here for days. I have asked about a white line across the dropped kerb but got nowhere. I’d be very happy to pay for it if it meant I could use my drive safely and easily.

Suggestions:

1. Make St Dunstan's Crescent, St Dunstan's Close and The Hill Avenue (both ends) resident only parking.

2. Paint double yellow lines on the junctions and also on the right-angle bend in St Dunstan's Crescent. Such lines work well at the junction with St Dunstan's Close.

3. Make St Dunstan's Crescent one-sided parking, so that the pavements remain clear of vehicles

4. Paint white lines across residents’ drives so that they feel able to use them

5. As a last resort, paint a parking line on the pavements and tow away any vehicle parked over it.

 

 

Sue Corbin

 

• Residents of St Peter’s have brought to the attention of the local policing team that there are vehicles being parked on pavements and causing issues for members of the public with pushchairs, wheelchair users and mobility scooter users, hence forcing them out in to the road to get by.

Owners of vehicles are being asked by police to park with consideration for those people.

If there are any further such issues residents can contact the local policing team on bn.snt@westmercia.pnn.police.uk  or can report issues on the 101 non-emergency number for police.