Parking Enforcement Escalation
Created by CliveI received this message from Andrew Hunter (QUVL Project Manager):
We have received consistent complaints about unauthorised/dangerous parking in Woodvale, Thatcham Ave’ and Valley Gardens and the problem seems to have escalated.
Dangerous or inconsiderate parking only puts peoples lives at risk and is frustrating for everyone. Therefore, CPS have been to site over the last few days to deal with this issue.
Having reviewed our comments made earlier this year, QUVL’s position has not changed (I refer to our last statement in mid April):
- Residents should not park on the double yellow lines (where visible) – there are good reasons for this!
- Residents should not park on pavements (whether it is just a wheel) that could restrict pedestrian access in any form.
- Residents should not park in areas that restrict visibility or present a risk (IE: on corners, etc), although these areas generally do have lines.
- QUVL has a duty of care to ensure that we have acted responsibly.
As a father myself, I would not want to have to answer to a child’s parents as to why an accident happened or how it may have been prevented. Health and safety is our top priority and is not negotiable. I think the majority would support me here.Last year I came to a compromise with GCC that double yellow lines along both sides of the roads was waived (under our planning conditions to provide a school safety zone), and that specific areas for parking were granted by QUVL to ease the parking problem. Clamping would also not be imposed, if this situation was not abused. Clearly it has been.
I have asked CPS to erect new signs to all areas that they intend to patrol. these signs clearly indicate the restrictions. Anyone who feels that they have been improperly clamped should submit their appeal to CPS.
This entry was posted
on Monday, June 15th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
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June 15th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Wonderful at last some action! Perhaps something can now be done regarding the parking of a van on a footpath in Chivenor way!!
June 15th, 2009 at 10:44 pm
Or the 4×4′s parked on the path as you turn into Lyneham Drive. You literally get 2 cars heading towards each other on the same side of the road going around a near-blind corner!
All because their drive is taken up with a caravan
June 16th, 2009 at 8:06 am
About time!! I do hope they do Halton Way too. How can we make sure that they do. Anyone got a number for CPS or do we go through Andy Hunter?
June 16th, 2009 at 8:18 am
Salz,
Would you prefer the caravan to be parked on the road?
or do you have a free rear garden that they can park it in?
Think before you comment, yes they have a caravan on their drive, but where else can they park it, and as long as the cars are taxed and insured, then they have a legal right to park on the road (Not even going to get into a rant on the non-enforceablility of the yellow lines).
If it is a blind corner, then you need to drive slow enough to anticipate any oncoming obstructions, and possibly stop to allow the other car to pass, that should take all of what? 10 seconds.
It just seems that everybody on this site wants to bitch and moan about anything.
Why dont we just make the whole estate no parking, then the only people who can live here are us who have enough parking for our cars, and those who do not have a car.
HM
June 16th, 2009 at 9:28 am
Holbeach
I don’t care where the caravan is parked – just explaining why the cars are not on the drive.
As I wrote the cars are parked on the PATH not the road..think before YOU comment! There is no legal right to park on the PATH.
Everybody has to drive slowly (and should do so) otherwise an accident would have been happening every day for the past few years. Why should everybody else have to accomodate thoughtless morons parking where ever they feel…but I suppose thats just moaning though and we should put up with it.
Yes – there are too many cars – no ones fault really – if several people in a house work then most likely need more cars.
This is the problem with builders/planners squeezing as much profit as possible out of available land. Nothing can be done about it now, but I know that if some Kingsway residents carry on with parking like this (and lets face facts – it’s gonna get worse), house prices will fall through the floor!
But again just moaning….
June 16th, 2009 at 10:20 am
From Salz Comment “Yes – there are too many cars – no ones fault really”
Yes it is someones fault. The designers of the estate designed it as a commuter village and yet designated no parking for an average 2 car family. which – given the cost of the houses – most people need two cars to get to work.
Personally I think people’s parking has got better, certainly the Woodvale/Thatcham roundabout is much better.
What sickens me is just how eager people are to get their neighbours fined. It is easy to have a rant on here and get all angry. But the people who are parking may not realise that they are causing other people issues. So instead of running to the clampers, try talking to your neighbours and get things resolved as civilised people! Ther has been a number of incidents that have been resolved by talking to neighbours and pointing out that where they are parking (or making notices or whatever) and the person has taken action. Unless you just want to turn everyone against each other!
June 16th, 2009 at 10:37 am
Just thought you should all know that parking a Caravan or a commercial vehicle of any description is not permitted. Check the deeds to your property.
June 16th, 2009 at 10:48 am
Salz,
What is your solution?
You seem to be contradicting yourself. First you are saying they are parked on the path, but then you are saying they creating a situation where cars are coming head-on. Why should everybody else have to accomodate thoughtless morons parking wherever they feel? If they didn’t park on the path then the road would be even narrower!
Simple solution, they park fully on the road… So that you can then post a new comment saying “That family on the corner used to park considerately, now they block half the road! Why dont they park slightly on the pavement and make the road easier to navigate?”
Just for the record parking on the pavement is immediately an offence if it causes danger to ped’s, (ie: forces them to walk on the road).
Or it can be expressly forbidden as this extract from the road traffic act 1991 shows:
In my view (and it is only my view, so hurl abuse at me if you wish), the cars are normally parked as considerately as they can, they don’t cause danger to ped’s and it makes the road easier to navigate than if the cars were parked kerbside.
HM
June 16th, 2009 at 10:50 am
GNOTE,
I thought that was only for 2 years from the date you moved in?
Could be wrong though!
June 16th, 2009 at 11:24 am
Hi Holbeach_miserable,
No it’s not for two years, It is a permanent entry on your deeds. I remember asking my solicitor the same the thing and asked if smaller vans such as a Fiesta was allowed. He said it was most certainly not allowed. My concern is how do you enforce it?
Either way, you are not allowed to park a van or a caravan or anything that fits in that category in Kingsway. (of course my information is only for Bryant, I can’t comment on other peoples deeds, but I presume it’s the same).
June 16th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
GNote and HM
I thought it was that you had to ask permission to park. It is like if you want to add a driveway to the front garden, you have to ask permission from your builder to do it. I thought it was for 2 years (not sure why) but I think GNote is right that it is permenant (Mine is a Laing house).
June 16th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
“I have no jurisdiction over Halton way as it is not owned by QUVL”
This is the reply from Andy Hunter. Just in case anyone else was interested.
June 16th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
LjA, Halton Way, and all the smaller roads are owned by the developers and will not be adoped by the Council. The roads to be adoped by the Council will be the 3 main routes – Thatcham, Woodvale and the one with the school (name escapes me).
June 16th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
Hi Neighbours,
lja, Baz_k is right… In fact I just published this article and this page to explain the set up.
June 18th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
Hi
At a risk of opening this whole debate up again, I read the QUVL statement above with interest, as the only previous one I could find (12th Sept’) contains the following quote:
Clearly it states that all the parking restrictions only apply to the double yellow line areas.
Perhaps that explains why when I was clamped on 6th June, the clamper wrote Valley Gardens on the release receipt instead of the far end of Woodvale (no yellow lines).
I appealed to the clamping company, but they declined my appeal! When I subsequently phoned them to point out that it was a legal requirement to state the location on the receipt and that their own photograph showed my car parked in Woodvale I was told "so sue me, even if you win you won’t get your money back, we’re a clamping company, we never pay up!"
June 18th, 2009 at 10:05 pm
How about speaking with your neighbours regarding who maybe parked ‘badly or illegally’, rather than the blog. Ok you may get short shrift or worse but hey, you may actually get success or a compromise. Come on blogs can be a good thing for disseminating information to those who are interested, or as a discussion zone, but maybe some of the parking problems could be sorted with a little personal interaction with those concerned.
I’m not sure the parking issue is going to go away quickly but solutions and compromises can be found if there is the willingness to do so, within the limits of the development and double yellow lines.
By the way, let’s work together if possible and try and think about where we are parking… rather than sod you if that’s the case.
The success of any neighbourhood is about working together and supporting each other when and were possible so lets do the ‘big lunch’ mentioned elsewhere on this blog.
Relax!
June 19th, 2009 at 9:33 am
hear hear, well said fatlad