Police chief warns of collision danger on reservoir road

SOUTH Derbyshire’s new police chief has warned of “very serious consequences” if motorists continue to park dangerously near a popular beauty spot.

Inspector Chris Thornhill said head-on collisions were a very real threat as pedestrians walk in the middle of the road because cars are parking on grass verges outside Foremark Reservoir.

The site, near Repton, is a popular spot for sun-seekers. But since lockdown rules were eased, people have been rushing to the area, filling up its car park. Any overflow traffic then parks on grass verges outside the site on the narrow Repton Road, which has a 60mph limit.

Inspector Thornhill said: “We’ve had a number of calls about Foremark with regards to parking. We have calls about some people parking illegally and sometimes dangerously. We usually have the calls during periods of very sunny weather.

“We have had reports of antisocial behaviour in that area and residents are very concerned about that. We will shut the road off if it gets dangerous and if there are obstructions we will look at doing it earlier.

“We are working closely with Severn Trent Water and Derbyshire County Council’s highways to figure out a solution and looking at the grass verges and what can be done.

“If you find the car park is full, find somewhere else to spend the day.

“You find out just how dangerous it is when cars are parked there and other cars are coming down the lane at quite a speed and you have pedestrians having to go in the road.

“It’s a fairly fast road and if people are coming around the bend and there is a pedestrian in the road there could be a head-on collision.

“It could have very serious consequences.”

Repton Road outside the reservoir has had a double yellow line system recently put in place in addition to the double white line system.

The past few months’ hot weather has led to police having to monitor the site and ticket cars which were parked illegally.