Wardens take to street over parking woes (From Oxford Mail)

Wardens take to street over parking woes

12:10pm Saturday 2nd March 2013 in News By Katriona Ormiston, Reporter. Call me on (01865) 425426

WARDENS are hitting the streets in Barton after a spate of complaints about bad parking around Underhill Circus.

Community centre users and residents have been complaining to Oxfordshire County Council that increasing numbers of drivers have been blocking driveways, parking on pavements and ignoring yellow lines and disabled bay restrictions over the past few weeks.

Barton Community Centre secretary Sue Holden said part of the problem was there were not enough on-street parking spaces.

She said: “Obviously residents need to park around their homes, and we get a lot of visitors to the community centre as well at the same time.

“We have to try to accommodate them. But if people were more sensible about how they park it would not be such a big issue.

“I have noticed more traffic wardens around here.”

Oxfordshire County Council spokesman Martin Crabtree confirmed wardens had recently stepped up patrols.

He said: “We have recently been receiving complaints of vehicles illegally parked in disabled parking bays.

“In response to this we have increased the number of patrols which check the bays and nearby streets.

“Our officers can take action if someone has parked on yellow lines or in a designated disabled bay, but obstruction of the pavement would have to be dealt with by the police. However, yellow lines cover the whole of the highway and we do carry out enforcement when someone parks on a yellow line and the pavement.

“The amount of parking has not been raised with us so far, but we would look into any points raised if we were approached.”

A warden, who wanted to remain anonymous because he also lives in Barton, was in Underhill Circus issuing tickets on Monday.

He said: “I’ve been out here a bit more. There are quite a few problems but there just isn’t enough space.”

One community centre worker said: “Sometimes our cars are blocked in.

“A couple of days ago a friend went to leave and he was blocked by another car.

“Fortunately he guessed where the owner of the vehicle was staying and persuaded him to move it.”

Risinghurst resident Margaret Woodley, who regularly visits the community centre, said: “There are only about five spaces. Wherever they build a community centre there is hardly any parking and people can’t get there. It is expensive on a bus, so they park on the pavement.”