Calls for end to parking woes

Monday January 18, 2010

The council has vowed to do all it can to improve parking on Talgarth Road.

Around 70 parking bays on the westbound A4 Talgarth Road were suspended in April 2008 after a Transport for London (TfL) probe revealed that the footway was not able to withstand the weight of parked vehicles.

Since then, barricades have been used to block the bays and the council has been putting pressure on TfL to carry out any repair work as a matter of urgency so that the bays can be brought back into use.

Prasus Patel of Talgarth Road is just one resident who has been affected by the problems. He said: “It is terrible and it is making my life a misery. If I want a new mattress or washing machine delivered it is almost impossible. I really hope that there is some way that the parking bays can be replaced. The barricades that are now used to stop cars from parking in the bays are even heavier than cars.”

Cllr Nick Botterill, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment ,said: “We understand TfL’s concerns over the parking bays on Talgarth Road and are calling for them to reach a solution to the problem as quickly as possible. We will continue to work on behalf of residents and trust that TfL will be able to find a way to safely reopen some of the bays in the near future.”

Following pressure from the council, TfL is expected to consult with local residents in the near future.