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Stop students parking along our busy street
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| People from Spetchley Road, Worcester, with the petition they handed in to the sixth form college. Picture by Simon Rogers. |
PEOPLE living in a traffic-clogged Worcester street have been assured that any major new developments in their neighbourhood must have sufficient parking spaces.
Your Worcester News reported on Wednesday how Worcester Sixth Form College is planning a new block, costing tens of millions of pounds, to cater for up to 500 extra students.
Campaigners living along Spetchley Road say the number of students parking outside their homes is already making the road dangerous and higher numbers will make the problem worse.
But Worcester City Council's senior planning officer Alan Coleman said the council has strict rules about the number of parking spaces provided by new developments.
He said: "First we assess the size of the current development and the amount of existing car parking spaces.
"Then we look at the size of the planned extension and come up with a figure for how many extra parking spaces must be provided."
The problem the college faces is that in addition to the council's strict parking requirements, it must also satisfy planners' concerns about the green land where it would like to build the new development.
The area is classified as part of a green network' where almost all construction work is barred.
Meanwhile, members of the Spetchley Road Area Residents Association rec-ently visited the college to present a petition of 100 signatures calling for a ban on students parking in their road. They also want double yellow lines along at least one side of the road - something Worcestershire County Council's highway officers are considering.
Association member Erle Andrews said: "We wanted to protest at the dangerous and excessive parking in Spetchley Road, particularly by students from the sixth form college.
"It contributed to a recent road accident and we are concerned more serious accidents will happen."
However, the college's principal John Tredwell said he was powerless to ban students from parking along Spetchley Road because they were not doing anything illegal.
He said: "We discourage them and we point out the difficulties they cause but we can't police a ban and we can't stop it.
Mr Tredwell said public transport was poor and students had told him buses were often late, unreliable and took circuitous routes to the college. He has written to Worcester City Council to ask if a compromise could be reached regarding the extra parking spaces.
9:16am Thursday 8th May 2008
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CommentPosted by: chippie, Worcester on 12:30pm Thu 8 May 08
At last someone has had the initiative to bring the situation to the front - let's hope things will start moving now and the Sixth Form College and County Council can work together to find a solution - I can assure you it is a dangerous road at certain times of the day - plus we have County Hall parking as well along with Halcrow - a very cheap car park for many.
At last someone has had the initiative to bring the situation to the front - let's hope things will start moving now and the Sixth Form College and County Council can work together to find a solution - I can assure you it is a dangerous road at certain times of the day - plus we have County Hall parking as well along with Halcrow - a very cheap car park for many.
Posted by: chippie, Worcester on 12:38pm Thu 8 May 08
The biggest problem is the fact that when cars are parked both sides of a drive and opposite it is very dangerous trying to get safely out into the road - hopefully there will be a satisfactory solution to this problem one day.
The biggest problem is the fact that when cars are parked both sides of a drive and opposite it is very dangerous trying to get safely out into the road - hopefully there will be a satisfactory solution to this problem one day.
Posted by: chippie, Worcester on 12:38pm Thu 8 May 08
The biggest problem is the fact that when cars are parked both sides of a drive and opposite it is very dangerous trying to get safely out into the road - hopefully there will be a satisfactory solution to this problem one day.
The biggest problem is the fact that when cars are parked both sides of a drive and opposite it is very dangerous trying to get safely out into the road - hopefully there will be a satisfactory solution to this problem one day.
Posted by: cmot, Worcester on 2:06pm Thu 8 May 08
Put any form of parking restriction along Spetchley Road during the day, and the problem will simply be shifted to Staplow Rd, Bayham Drive, Dinchall Rd and Kilbury Drive.
As for the city council, their hands were tied as to how many parking spaces they can allow for the college. The same would apply to County Hall too if they were to apply for more parking spaces.
Put any form of parking restriction along Spetchley Road during the day, and the problem will simply be shifted to Staplow Rd, Bayham Drive, Dinchall Rd and Kilbury Drive.
As for the city council, their hands were tied as to how many parking spaces they can allow for the college. The same would apply to County Hall too if they were to apply for more parking spaces.
Posted by: hotfuzz, Stourport on 2:38pm Thu 8 May 08
[quote]Association member Erle Andrews said: "We wanted to protest at the dangerous and excessive parking in Spetchley Road, particularly by students from the sixth form college.[/quote]
What is 'excessive parking'?
If the students are at college - what are they supposed to do??
As cmot says, parking restrictions just shift the problem to somewhere else nearby.
Whilst it may be dangerous and there may be a need to address the problem - it doesn't help to become emotive and just blame the students!!!
Association member Erle Andrews said: "We wanted to protest at the dangerous and excessive parking in Spetchley Road, particularly by students from the sixth form college.
What is 'excessive parking'?
If the students are at college - what are they supposed to do??
As cmot says, parking restrictions just shift the problem to somewhere else nearby.
Whilst it may be dangerous and there may be a need to address the problem - it doesn't help to become emotive and just blame the students!!!
Posted by: Salsa, Malvern on 5:30pm Thu 8 May 08
as long as they pay their road tax, can't they park where they want! It would be like complaining when people walk on the path outside their homes.
as long as they pay their road tax, can't they park where they want! It would be like complaining when people walk on the path outside their homes.
Posted by: King Creole, Worcester on 9:34pm Thu 8 May 08
Clearly something is wrong with the calculations if they result in inadequate parking spaces. No doubt the usual excuse will be trotted out by the planners, "we limit parking spaces as we want to encourage use of public transport". They will never admit they have simply got it wrong. Just wait until the University brings five thousand more students, and cars, into the city!
Clearly something is wrong with the calculations if they result in inadequate parking spaces. No doubt the usual excuse will be trotted out by the planners, "we limit parking spaces as we want to encourage use of public transport". They will never admit they have simply got it wrong. Just wait until the University brings five thousand more students, and cars, into the city!
Posted by: King Creole, Worcester on 9:35pm Thu 8 May 08
Clearly something is wrong with the calculations if they result in inadequate parking spaces. No doubt the usual excuse will be trotted out by the planners, "we limit parking spaces as we want to encourage use of public transport". They will never admit they have simply got it wrong. Just wait until the University brings five thousand more students, and cars, into the city!
Clearly something is wrong with the calculations if they result in inadequate parking spaces. No doubt the usual excuse will be trotted out by the planners, "we limit parking spaces as we want to encourage use of public transport". They will never admit they have simply got it wrong. Just wait until the University brings five thousand more students, and cars, into the city!
Posted by: local resident, worcester on 11:31pm Thu 8 May 08
When will they learn to put the public transport into place before expecting people to use it. I live in this area and it is practically non existent.
I have every sympathy with students coming in from outside the city but that is what the park and ride is being introduced for.
The worst offenders along this road is the people picking up schoolchildren who park so they endanger the lives of other school children trying to cross the road.
It is not the residents who suffer, despite their cries, it is the people trying to cross the road and other road users trying their best to get through.
CONCENTRATE ON SORTING OUT THE PROBLEM FOR THEM.
When will they learn to put the public transport into place before expecting people to use it. I live in this area and it is practically non existent.
I have every sympathy with students coming in from outside the city but that is what the park and ride is being introduced for.
The worst offenders along this road is the people picking up schoolchildren who park so they endanger the lives of other school children trying to cross the road.
It is not the residents who suffer, despite their cries, it is the people trying to cross the road and other road users trying their best to get through.
CONCENTRATE ON SORTING OUT THE PROBLEM FOR THEM.
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