A RESIDENTS’ permit scheme could be set up as problem parkers put lives at risk.
Coun David Bawn says he has received numerous complaints about parked cars blocking access to High Stanners in Morpeth. The problem not only causes a nuisance for residents, but there are fears that emergency vehicles could struggle to reach people in need.
Now Coun Bawn is calling on Northumberland County Council to consult on a residents’ parking permit scheme.
He said: “A bottleneck is regularly being created at the entrance to the Stanners and there is potential to prevent emergency vehicles accessing the estate, which is a serious concern.
“I have conducted a survey of local residents and the response has been overwhelming, clear and unambiguous. The situation has reached the point where local people are now prepared to back a permit zone and are prepared to pay the cost of such a permit to bring an end to this disruption.
“I believe there is a case for such a scheme to be introduced and if funding is unavailable from County Hall, I am prepared to fund the scheme through my allocated Small Scheme budget, if this is feasible.”
Resident Cameron Blackhall said: “We are experiencing car parking on the pavement in Abbey Terrace and Abbey View, which is restricting heavy vehicles and also the likes of ambulances and fire engines.
“We have parking all day from shoppers and people going to work and then we have additional traffic in the evenings and at weekends from the club, the restaurant and to a lesser extent, the B&B.
“The police have intermittently taken action, but the traffic wardens seem powerless because there are no yellow lines. It is a problem.”