Residents' action plea over parking nightmare in Fordington

10:20am Tuesday 9th February 2010

By Harry Hogger

They claim drivers are avoiding paying charges by parking in Fordington and clogging up the streets.

It has been happening since new parking charges were introduced in Dorchester town centre last summer.

Dorchester Town Council’s planning and environment committee has now urged Dorset County Council to consider introducing residents’ parking zones in the area in a bid to ease the congestion.

Malcolm Cumber, 49, of South Walks Road, said: “Although I have got off-road parking I still have the need to park in the road at times and it has become very difficult.

“I see people who work in town parking here and walking into town because they have been pushed out by parking charges in the town centre.”

Fellow South Walks Road resident Sue Jenkins said: “I would be in favour of residents’ permits. I find it difficult to park anywhere near my home and it has got worse since they brought in the charges in town.”

Kieran Fitzgerald, 25, of Duke’s Avenue, said: “It’s an absolute nightmare. On a Friday evening cars are double parked right the way up both sides of the road.

“One of my housemates is a fire officer and he says there is no room for a fire engine to get through.”

Another Fordington resident, who did not wish to be named, said: “The parking is horrendous and there has been a considerable difference since the new charges were brought in.”

At the meeting of the town council’s planning and environment committee, Councillor Stella Jones told county council representatives who attended: “Fordington has a severe problem at the moment as people don’t want to pay to park in town.

“At Fordington Green you can hardly get past because of cars parking on both sides of the road.

“It’s very urgent, the parking round there is absolutely appalling – an ambulance wouldn’t be able to get down there, residents and visitors to the flats can’t park.”

Councillor Trevor Jones added: “It’s time all local authorities thought about people living here – without accessible parking their quality of life is just hammered.”

The committee agreed to formally ask the county council to consider introducing residents’ parking areas in Fordington.

Tony Mackle, from the county council’s traffic management team, said it would take around nine months for any residents’ parking zone to come into force. He said: “The first thing we have to do is make sure the people who live there want it. If there is a strong consensus it’s easy.”