Pensioner builds bins barricade
AN OBAN pensioner has taken a stand against workmen parking vans outside his home by creating a barricade out of wheelie bins.
Angus McPhee, who lives in Lynn Gardens, was sick of people working at the new Oban High School using his residential area as a car park.
The 69-year-old says vans are hindering emergency services from quickly reaching vulnerable people in the community.
So, armed with a flask of tea, the Colonsay man went outside at just after 6am on Tuesday and obstructed the entrance to Lynn Gardens with three green wheelie bins.
Angus, who dubs himself Victor Meldrew, then manned the area until after 8am and stopped around 15 vans from entering.
Speaking to The Oban Times, Angus said: ‘It just needs one person to stand up. They have all driven by and looked at me, but not one has come in.’
However, one person he does want to enter is the site manager. He said: ‘I would like to invite the site manager round and show him the problems and where the other car parks are – and if someone from the council wants to come, they are welcome.
‘We don’t want this. I don’t want to be out of bed at 6 o’clock in the morning. We don’t want trouble, but they don’t need to park in here, especially when they have alternative parking
‘A lot of cars came in yesterday for a couple of hours and we don’t mind that, but 12 hours is a long time.
‘It’s such a beautiful morning as well. But this worries us because, as the weather gets better, people will be here longer and longer.’
Looking at the empty spaces behind him, Angus said: ‘Just look at it. It’s the way it should be.
‘People can get in to visit us – doctors, nurses and friends and family.
‘My daughter came up the other week and she could not get in. This has been going on for months.
‘That’s about 15 I have stopped. That would mean the whole car park would be full.’
Councillor for Oban South and the Isles Jim Lynch said: ‘I can understand his frustration. I am happy to speak to the workers and come to a settlement, as I did before with a similar situation.
‘We need to take into account what the man is saying. I sympathise with him and I assume he is not alone. So, rather than getting into bother, I am happy to speak to him to see if we can come to a nice conclusion.’
A spokesperson for Argyll and Bute Council said: ‘We passed this on to our contractors and they confirmed that they have spoken with their sub-contractors about this, and do so on a regular basis.’