Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Crash fears as lockdown sparks rise in cars on woodland road
Motorists leaving vehicles on side of 60mph route dubbed ‘accident alley’
A lockdown spike in trips to local woodland has seen scores of motorists leave their cars along a road dubbed “accident alley” – sparking fears of a fatal crash.
Nature lovers unable to find a space in the overflowing car park at Thornden Wood - between Canterbury and Herne Bay - have instead been leaving their vehicles at its entrance. This has meant that the paths of oncoming motors in Thornden Wood Road have been obstructed, forcing them to veer into the centre of the 60mph thoroughfare.
As a result, Greenhill councillor Dan Watkins has branded the drivers inconsiderate and is urging them to park elsewhere. “I’m very concerned about it. It’s dangerous leaving your car on that road – it could lead to a crash,” he explained. “Someone having to swerve into the middle of the road in a wood, where hardly any natural light can get through. That’s as dangerous as it gets.
“It’s a safety risk. It’s November, it’s dark and the roads are slippery, so people need to be sensitive to that.” Thornden Wood Road has been the scene of numerous crashes in recent years, including one in 2015 during which a driver miraculously escaped serious injury after flipping his car along the route. Canterbury City Council wardens do not have enforcement powers in the area as the route does not have yellow lines. Motorists on social media have slated “selfish” ramblers who choose to park on the road, with one branding the situation “a death waiting to happen”. “Drivers should be more responsible and not park there,” Cllr Watkins continued. “When the issue last arose, I heard from people who thought it was dangerous and found it uncomfortable driving down that road.
“The people leaving their cars there could get their mirrors
whacked – so why do it? “They should be more flexible and go to Clowes Wood car park instead, because that’s very, very close.”
The car park is run by the Kent Wildlife Trust, which says it has not received any recent reports of nuisance parking. A spokesman added: “The car park was closed during the first
lockdown as we were seeing a huge increase in visitor numbers, at the same time as having a reduced capacity to deal with site-related issues. “Thornden Wood car park was opened in the summer and has not been closed again.”
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