Thame fire station being blocked by 'inconsiderate' drivers

Thame Fire Station issued an appeal this week urging people to not park on their forecourt or on the road where it is marked for non-emergency vehicles to 'keep clear'.

Councillors in Thame have criticised those who have been putting lives at danger by blocking access.

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Thame town councillor David Bretherton said: "There's an awful lot of inconsiderate parking around Thame.

Councillor David Bretherton. (Image: Thame Town Council.)

"The law should be enforced by the county council.

"It's absolutely everywhere and they haven't sorted it."

He claimed there had been a van parked obstructing access on Monday.

"I just got a smile as if to say where else do I park," Mr Bretherton said.

"Well, somewhere that's legal?"

It comes as a public statement from the fire station said: "In an emergency every second counts.

"We understand that traffic in Thame is challenging at the moment."

Thame's county councillor Nigel Champken-Woods added: "People used to abuse parking in Thame.

"It was a particular problem in that people were parking all day."

Councillor Nigel Champken-Woods. (Image: Oxfordshire County Council.)

Mr Champken-Woods emphasised the two car parks outside the town hall and the market would continue to offer free parking.

"People have been calling for parking permits ever since I started as a councillor," he added.

Mr Champken-Woods said people in Nelson Road are being given warning notices at the moment.

Thame town councillor Catherine Jones said: "Anyone who stops fire engines coming and going is selfish and stupid."

A county council spokesman said: "We consulted on introducing permit parking for Nelson Street at the end of 2022.

"The scheme was approved in January 2023 and the scheme has just been brought into effect.

Councillor Catherine Jones. (Image: Thame Town Council.)

"As well as carrying out their routine rounds, our parking enforcement officers will respond to reports of illegal parking around the county and take action where necessary.

"Double yellow lines and other parking restrictions are there for safety reasons, and this is particularly important when it comes to fire and rescue crews being able to respond to emergencies as swiftly as possible."

A Thames Valley Police spokesman added: "Our advice is very simple and straight forward.

"If a member of the public is parking illegally and causing an obstruction, there is a risk that their vehicle could be removed.

"The owner of that vehicle would then be liable to the recovery costs and potential fines.

"We would essentially ask the public to be mindful of where they are parking so as not to obstruct emergency services.

"Parking on private property would be for the landowner."

Deputy Chief Fire Officer for Oxfordshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service, Matt Cook, said:

“Every second counts and lives could be at risk if our fire engines are obstructed and delayed on route to an emergency.

“The double yellow lines in front of fire stations are there to notify motorists of no parking areas.

“I encourage drivers to respect the rules and to consider how they would feel if their vehicle blocked our fire and rescue crews from responding promptly to an emergency callout.”