Dangerous parking - the sequel

Mr. Dellow,
                I am PC----(name given) and I am currently working in the community office at Ulverston Police station. PS (Police Sergeant - name given) passed me your e-mail and a link to your blog about the vehicle you witnessed parked at the roundabout at the bottom of Soutergate, Ulverston on 28th June 2011.
Thank you for the enlarged photograph which enabled me to see the vehicles registered number. I have carried out the relevant checks on the vehicle and I have spoken to the registered keeper, who was using the vehicle at the given time and date. The keeper of the vehicle has been given advice about their parking and also appraised of parking offences the police can and will deal with.
The keeper of the vehicle has been warned regarding their use of their vehicle at this time.

I hope this is satisfactory?

If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact me via any of the details below.

Regards

(name given)

To which I responded:

"Brilliant.

I hope you were met with a little glimmer of recognition that parking at this location was not desirable.

If so this would be far more than I was able to obtain.

My opinion is that if we can get the public supported by the police making their views heard in a quiet firm and rational way we will encourage the few in  Ulverston who show little regard for others to change - a little.

By contrast I fully agree with your Sgt that I do not want to encourage an emotional antagonistic approach to lawbreakers in Ulverston.

A difficult line to walk.

Thanks

Geoff Dellow"

Are we putting up with this behaviour?

Over the double yellow lines and blocking the pavement.

When I went in to talk to the builders working here about their vans, the response was:
"What's it got to do with you"

My response was : "I live here (in this town)" and walked out.

There is an attitude about that people can make their own rules up and to hell with the rest.

As far as I can tell they haven't parked back on this corner again.

Bt behaving irresponsibly?

Colin Hodgson, as our local councillor, could you do something to prevent a disaster?

(Deter parking like this and open up the route via Church Fields)

Why isn't our parking enforcement officer clamping down on this kind of thing?

(email sent to Colin)

If parking here is alright, why have we got double yellow lines?

This narrow stretch of road is one of the busiest in Ulverston.

It's used by many as a way of dodging the one way system.

Why do the people living in Church Walk, Town St, Ainsworth St, Beech Bank and Green Bank and those using the popular Church Walk School , put up with this?

Have they not considered what could happen if this particular intersection gets blocked?

That no ambulance or fire engine could reach them?

Town Parking

Fountain Street.

Parking available round the corner.

For more examples, click the parking link below.

Your views please.

Judith Pickthall must be congratulated

It is extremely rare that a Cllr takes the initiative to get something done for the town.

But here is someone who has.

Unlike our Mayor, Norman Bishop-Rowe, who puts the brakes on intiatives, Judith has seen the importance to the town of the two outside markets.

The more the town rescues the initiative on Ulverston matters out of the hands of a failing SLDC and County Council the better.

As people have already pointed out, the issue of the town's parking policy is equally, or even more important and needs removing out of the clutches of both councils.

The scandal of the near empty Stockbridge Lane car park is a blot on our Town Councils lack of initiative in sorting out an extremely important issue.

Well done Judith, now lets take on the Parking problems in the town. The Market needs this sorted.

Parking Disaster

The Town needs all the trade it can get which means, at Easter, having its car parks used at efficiently.

Yet.

While The Gill Car Park was full with cars queuing for places at 1 pm yesterday, Easter Saturday.



The Stockbridge Lane Car Park was nearly empty.



Drivers from Broughton, Barrow and the surrounding areas who were waiting for spaces in The Gill were totally unaware of an empty car park only yards away up the hill.

Why is this?

Because the County Council refuse to put adequate signs to the large Stockbridge Car Park.

There is no sign at the Market Cross where one is obviously needed.

There is only a small one at Hill Foot for those coming in from Barrow.

This story is made all the more deplorable by the decisions of our head of Highways, Nick Raymond and our County Councillors Wendy Kolbe and Pauline Halfpenny who chaired the series of three consultations in Ulverston in October.

At these meetings, those present decided by a large majority that better signing was needed to the Stockbridge Car Park, yet Nick managed to score this proposal so that it went to the bottom of the list of priorities for Ulverston and despite Wendy Kolbe's repeated assurances that we could leave the details to her to sort out, nothing has happened to improve this signing.

Furthermore most of the great and good from the Town Council were present and this anomaly has continued unchanged despite repeated requests for explanations.

Somehow "Signs to the Stockbridge Car Park" were seen by Nick Raymond as "promoting the use of the motor car " and not seen as environmentally friendly.

What do you make of this behaviour?

Comments please.

Should we kick up a fuss or ignore it or just say something politely like.

"Would you mind not parking there when you go to the cash machine?"

The latter is to be preferred when one is brave enough but sometimes just filming is the easy option and hoping someone he knows sees it and points it out.

Perhaps he won't do it again!

Perhaps Dick Base, traffic warden will say/do something.

Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps, he's your husband/boyfriend and you won't approve.

Perhaps you think :

"Get this ruddy nosy-parker out of here"

Post a comment or

Perhaps you couldn't care less. (but then you wouldn't have read this far . . !)

Big Bums on . . . . the pavement

Does it matter how people are behaving in our town ?

Parking on the double yellow lines

Photo Geoff Dellow - we have a problem! - or do you disagree?

I have taken the following action:

Talked to the manager of Bargain Booze at mid-day. She says "It's the Traffic warden's problem - talk to him!"

I requested that she suggests to customers that they avoid parking on the double yellow lines as they may get booked.

I witnessed problems similar to that reported by a commenter below : a driver backing into a pedestrians path at the cross road after using the cash machine that has been installed right on the corner.

Talked at length with Dick Base, Car Parking, Enforcement for the District Council.

He recommends a discussion with Sergeant Rupert Johnston at Ulverston Police who he believes is very good at following through on issues brought to his attention. I am seeking a meeting when convenient.

I shall ask the planning department to send me the relevant plans and correspondence to the Ulverston Town Hall as I wonder how the proposal to place a cash point at this intersection ever got through!