Ormskirk Advertiser

‘I have been in dangerous situations with my grandchild­ren in the pram’

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still allows one car through. Cars parked on the pavements still only allows the one car through but because the gap is bigger cars think they can squeeze through and slam on when realising they cannot get through.”

County Cllr Gillian Oliver, who raised the issue at full council after receiving numerous complaints from residents, supported the move for shifting power and responsibi­lity for enforcemen­t of pavement parking rules to County Hall.

She said: “It should be a matter for councils, because it is difficult for the police to enforce something which many people probably won’t realise is a criminal offence.

“However, a change in legislatio­n will take time and so it would be good to see the police and county council to team up to do something in the meantime.”

WE ASKED for your experience­s of issues of parking around West Lancashire and whether it could be solved by an enforced ban on pavement parking. Here’s what you said: Neil Heyes You only realise what a big problem this is when you push a pram or are with someone in a wheelchair. You have to go on the road, that’s if the drop kerb isn’t blocked.

When walking my daughter to school, we regularly have to walk in the road because the pavement is blocked by cars parking on the pavement by overgrown bushes. Sara McGonigal Pedestrian­s are caught between a rock and a hard place if you have a wheelchair or pram some paths become impossible to navigate. You can’t safely cross as there is no line of sight and you cannot safely dismount the pavement as the dropped kerbs are parked on. Walking in the road is not an option. Joanne Williams I struggled the other day with my pram I had to go in the road and a car came down the road very quickly and had to slow right down. I had checked beforehand and nothing was coming – happens a lot. I know it cannot be helped but sometimes it can. Polly Jolly Derby St / Greetby Hill / Bath Springs – often on both sides of the road; traffic becomes single file almost. Mums with prams collecting children from the school often have to take unnecessar­y risks on and off the kerb.

The vehicles obstruct the flow of traffic & restrict vision; a serious accident in the waiting! There have been many incidents of car wing mirrors clashing. Ian Blasbery I live on Whittle Drive, it becomes a mud pit every winter because all the cars mount the kerb and onto the grass. But it’s also a bus route so what choice do they have. The council should offer incentives to get cars off the road, offer to put in free drop kerbs or grants to put towards getting a driveway. Elaine McGrath I live in Tower Hill the roads are too narrow to park on the road there are “no parking” restrictio­ns across from our driveway but people park there to attend hospital appointmen­ts rather than pay parking fees when the cars are parked there we can’t get our cars out the driveway. Denise Mungo Hankin Derby street by Bath Springs was ok till they started parking on both sides of the road and to far on the pavements. Can’t get past at all when they put the bins out Jayne Grice This is a problem around any school , parents dropping off children have no considerat­ion for those parents walking their children to school usually with a pram as well.

I understand that parking on the pavement for other reasons is done to try and keep the road clear for traffic passing but enough pavement isn’t always left for prams or wheelchair­s to pass. I have been in several dangerous situations with my grandchild­ren in the pram.

Don’t really know what the answer is when we all rely on cars so much. Walking more is the sensible solution. Sheila Boyd Some roads are too narrow and residents have to park half on the pavements. If not then no room for emergency vehicles to pass. Louise Sarah Atkinson Altys Lane, pavements often totally blocked, especially when students return in September, forcing people to walk on the road. Tickets should he issued to discourage dangerous parking, if it’s not safe to park, you shouldn’t be parking, simple. David Martin Punishing drivers isn’t the answer, better public transport routes and parking is.

Chantelle Grace Truchon

As a wheelchair user, parking on pavements blocking access leaves me having to come off the safe pavement, having to go in the road to get past. So this does cause a major inconvenie­nce for me and other wheelchair users. But I do also know that limited parking and narrow roads means that this is sometimes the best option. William Crompton Should not be allowed, it causes a obstacle for blind people and damages the pavements. Nicole Xandra Smithy Lane in Scarisbric­k is terrible. The cars and the big hedge make it really dangerous going in and out of Shaw Hall Paul Dallow One of the problems is these roads are very old and when built there were no cars, the whole town is not geared up for the amount of traffic both moving and parking. If everyone parked on the road then there would be no access for any vehicles as both sides would be blocked, then there is the problem of how that would affect emergency services.

There is no solution other than ban all cars from Ormskirk which is obviously a non starter. I don’t know what the answer is and I will bet neither does anybody else. Neil Leatherbar­row I live in a cul de sac in Scarisbric­k if they stopped pavement parking it would make the road impassable and in many cases leave us unable to park in our driveways Molly Costello I block the pavement if the road has lots of cars on and it would be difficult for an emergency vehicle to get past. However I only do this on roads I know well and am aware are quiet roads for moving traffic and have little pedestrian­s therefore is going to be less of a problem.

If it is a busy road or a road I don’t know well then I would find an alternativ­e road. Maria Doogue I am a carer of someone who uses a wheelchair. I’ve lost count of the times I have had to go into roads because the path is blocked.

We live in Burscough and when the health centre is fully opened the path is blocked by cars, who even park over the dropped kerb.

The fact that it’s people with blue badges makes it worse.

 ??  ?? Tower Hill was singled out by residents as a particular­ly bad spot for pavement parking
Tower Hill was singled out by residents as a particular­ly bad spot for pavement parking
 ??  ?? Parking on the kerbs creates a ‘mud pit’ in Whittle Drive, Ormskirk, in winter, according to resident Ian Blasbery
Parking on the kerbs creates a ‘mud pit’ in Whittle Drive, Ormskirk, in winter, according to resident Ian Blasbery

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