Kentish Express Ashford & District
Anger as parked cars delay fire engine’s arrival
Angry neighbours say the emergency services should be allowed to push parked cars out of the way after a fire engine was unable to get through a street in Ashford.
Concerned firefighters called on drivers to think more about how they parked their vehicles following the incident in the congested Cudworth Road in Willesborough.
Crews raced to the scene after a summerhouse caught alight just before 4am last Thursday but struggled to get down part of the road as cars were parked too closely together.
It sparked an angry reaction on our KentOnline website, with some readers claiming emergency responders should be able to push parked cars out of the way.
Firefighter Andy Harris, crew manager at the Ashford station, said: “We had to keep sounding the siren to alert residents and fortunately we still managed to reach the house within eight minutes.
“But in an emergency, every second counts, and a delay preventing our crews from reaching someone in danger could make all the difference.
“We appreciate that parking can be tight and that people like to park as close as possible to their homes, but a fire engine needs a gap of at least 3.1m (10ft) to get through.
“People need to keep that in mind when they’re parking. It could be their house we are trying to reach.”
Firefighters left the scene of the blaze, which severely damaged the summerhouse in the back garden, at about 5am.
But readers say more now needs to be done to stop inconsiderate parking.
Proud Soldier wrote: “Emergency vehicle drivers should be allowed to nudge obstructions out of the way where safe to do so, with no comeback on them. Fit bigger bumpers and a dash cam.”
Nick Bar added: “All parking on both sides of the road should be banned especially on main roads with some households having up to five cars or vans.
“It is getting beyond a joke just to travel down these roads, and emergency vehicles stand little or no chance keeping to target to save lives.”
PeteMK said: “As someone who drivers a 26-tonne truck regularly, I always dread it when Cudworth Road comes up, or Star Road, Romney Road, Wallis Road and Tufton Road.
“Basically, any road that was part of the original town before the post-war growth started in earnest.
“Those roads were not designed with the concept of two or more cars per house, or that fire engines would be the size of buses.”
An Ashford Borough Council spokesman said the authority always encouraged “safe and sensible parking” in the borough.
Are you concerned about parking in your road? Write to Kentish Express, Unit 4, Park Mall shopping centre, Ashford, TN24 8RY or email kentishexpress@ thekmgroup.co.uk