Footpaths blocked with parked cars flagged up as major issue in Melton
Residents who are unhappy with footpaths being blocked by lines of vehicles parked on the pavement in Melton Mowbray have been asked by the county council to report the issue to them.
The Melton Times was contacted by town resident, Tony Mee, who flagged up one particular problem on Thorpe Road, which he said was representative of a wider issue across Melton.
He sent us a picture illustrating the situation and commented: “This photo was taken on a Sunday morning along Thorpe Road, Melton Mowbray, and sadly, it’s becoming a big problem everywhere.
"People need to consider wheelchair users, parents with pushchairs, the elderly and those with poor eyesight before they park their vehicles on the pavement.”
When we posted Tony’s photograph on our Facebook page we were inundated with comments from other residents who said they had encountered the same problem on residential streets across Melton.
Other areas where vehicles were observed parked in lines blocking footpaths included Rudbeck Avenue, Dorothy Avenue, Victoria Street, Lake Terrace, Wren Close, Barker Crescent, Craven Street, Fleming Drive, Regent Street, Brook Street, Scalford Road, Redwood Avenue, Solway Close, Convent Close, Valiant Way, Princess Drive, Queensway, Eagles Drive, King’s Road, Saxby Road and George Street.
Shirley Hunter posted on our Facebook page that she had to go into the traffic on her mobility scooter because Thorpe Road pavements were regularly blocked.
And Pauline Stroud commented: “Regent Street and Brook Street are awful. Nearly up to the brick walls sometimes. About time the traffic wardens were given authority to give tickets if on the pavements – not fair on pushchairs or mobility scooters.”
Ellie Mae Booth posted: “Fleming Drive is the same. It’s a nightmare especially at school run times. Some even park all four wheels on the path forcing you on the road.”
Leicestershire County Council, which is the local highways authority, said it was not currently illegal to park on the pavement outside of London, but it is an offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988 ‘to park in a way that causes danger or obstructs the highway - and this includes blocking the pavement for pedestrians’.
A County Hall spokesperson told the Melton Times: “The Government is still reviewing the outcome of a 2020 consultation on whether to make pavement parking a specific offence across England, as it already is in London.
“Like many councils, Leicestershire County Council is awaiting the Department for Transport’s decision on this matter. Unfortunately, we don’t yet have a timescale for when that might be.
“In the meantime, the council does have the power to introduce local restrictions, such as Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs), to ban pavement parking in specific areas.
“However, these are typically only considered where there is a clear and ongoing issue.”
The spokesperson added: “In the case of the location shown in the photo (Thorpe Road) - a terraced street with limited off-street parking - any restrictions would need to be carefully assessed to avoid displacing parking to other nearby streets or creating access problems for vehicles driving down the road.
"We’ve not received any complaints about this particular area, but if residents raise concerns directly with us, we’d be happy to investigate and consider what action might be appropriate.”
Go online at www.leicestershire.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/cars-and-parking/parking-enforcement to report these issues.