COUNCIL chiefs calls for more off-road parking in Pershore to ease congestion have been backed by the county’s highways boss who has introduced new regulations to bring parking arrangements ‘into the real world’.
Coun Alan Amos has called on developers to provide more on-site/off-road parking spaces on all new residential developments across Worcestershire.
The outspoken councillor said the new approach recognised people had more cars and used them more frequently but said the county’s roads must be used by moving vehicles and not as car parks.
“These new provisions are realistic and necessary to improve everybody’s quality of life. Whether the future brings us electric or driverless cars, they will still need to be parked somewhere,” he said.
“I have dealt with the nonsense that if you don’t provide parking spaces, somehow people won’t have cars whereas, in fact, the only consequence of not providing enough parking spaces is to increase congestion.”
The new approach comes after a meeting of Pershore Town Council last Thursday where Coun David Annis put forward his view Pershore was running out of car parking space.
Speaking at the meeting, Coun Annis called on council chiefs to approach Wychavon District Council to request more parking space be provided for town shoppers and visitors to the town.
“People are parking inconsiderately along side roads and pavements because there is nowhere else for them to go,” he said.
Coun Annis suggested some of the green space on the Abbey estate could be used for parking.
Coun Val Wood pointed out the Abbey estate was designed to have green space and expressed her view this not be eroded but said providing more car parks meant finding more land.
Current Wychavon planning committee chief Coun Tony Rowley challenged Coun Annis’s view and said there was no shortage of car parks but a shortage of free car parks.
“Neither the Asda nor the Abbey car parks are ever full and I suggest this issue should be considered as part of the Neighbourhood Plan.”
Councillors noted some of the issues related to residents parking where they have no driveways and Mayor of Pershore, Coun Chris Parsons reminded members off-road parking had been provided for Railground residents by Rooftop Housing and had greatly improved the on road parking situation in that area.
Members approved plans for town clerk Ann Dobbins to contact Rooftop to suggest a similar scheme in Avon Road.
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