Parking woes are now a daily problem

Since the introduction of increased parking charges in the town centre the section of Stratford Road between St Lawrence Avenue and the Racehorse public house has turned into a free car parking area for people working in the town, and during the week, on a daily basis, there are between six and eight cars regularly parked. I have watched people park their cars, put on their jackets, pick up their briefcases and walk into town and then return at the end of their day’s work. This parking is effectively reducing the Stratford Road to a single carriageway at times which is further exacerbated by the filter lane to the castle which commences opposite the bus stop. For many years the residents of Stratford Road have had to suffer this type of parking at weekends in the summer with visitors to the castle but it is now becoming a daily problem.

Stratford Road is a main thoroughfare to the M40 and is used by emergency vehicles as well as busses and lorries many of which exceed the 7.5 tonne limit through the town centre. The parked vehicles make it extremely difficult for residents to enter and leave their driveways safely because their vision is totally blocked in both directions. Stratford Road is also a route taken by school pupils attending Newburgh and Aylesford. There is no safe crossing point. Sooner or later there is going to be a serious accident.

I recently wrote to the Highways Department about this and the reply I received merely stated that this situation had already been brought to their attention and is on their list of locations for investigation. However because of cutbacks it will be some time before they can look into it.

The existing zebra crossing in Jury Street has served Warwick well for many years providing a safe crossing point for everyone. What is the point in wasting taxpayer’s money altering something that is perfectly efficient when a little money spent introducing yellow lines on the Stratford Road could save lives? What are the council waiting for? A fatality? - Name and address supplied.