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.

Sheaf Valley Park

I went to a meeting this evening about the development of Sheaf Valley Park. I was quite encouraged, as it seems we are close to finding the money to create a well lit disabled access path from the tram stop to the new events arena, which will be carved out of the top of the hill, near Norfolk Road.There will be consultations on these plans, with a stall in the railway station and Winter Gardens soon. The main problem with the plans at present is they include chopping down about 40 trees (chestnuts and maples)to make way for the path. But these will be replaced with a great variety of trees, bringing much more colour and interest to the park.There is also a plan to invest in a spectacular display of bulbs, bringing a blaze of colour to the hillside.

I can't yet find the latest plans on the Council website, but will add a link here when I have it. Do have a look at the plans and tell the Council what you think.

One interesting talking point was the cobbles. Some people love this original feature, but they make the paths inaccessible for wheelchair users and difficult for buggies etc. The consensus of the meeting was to make a tarmac path wide enough for a wheelchair user at the side of the cobbles.

I was hoping the lighting might be powered from renewable sources such as solar or small wind turbines as you often now see on motorways. The budget does not stretch to that, but the lighting will be white light, not yellow, which will make the park look much more attractive.

The team are still hopeful that they may win further grants, but at the moment the money originally planned to build the terraces for the events arena is what is paying for the path and lighting. If more grants are forthcoming the terracing may be able to go ahead too. Work is expected to start on the scheme next spring. I certainly think the path and lighting should take priority.