There was only one word on everybody’s lips at yesterday’s Meet Your Argus – parking.
Reporter Gareth Davies set up camp at Hollingbury Post Office in Preston Drove, Brighton, to speak to residents and Argus readers about pressing issues and local concerns.
The Stanford Avenue parking restrictions, which where were introduced on July 1, has caused a migration of cars from newly-restricted areas to roads where parking is free, causing fury among residents.
John Inpett, 67, from Dale Drive, is disabled and thinks that the restrictions were rushed through by the council, despite mass opposition from residents.
He said: “Everyone in my road voted no, but the council went and did it anyway.
“The council is a cabbage that has gone green with rot.”
Hugh Smith, 46, from Hollingbury Road, believes the council should take a leaf out of other European countries’ books by cleaning up the roads.
He said: “The amount of signs, pillars and restrictions not only make the roads look ugly but it’s not effective.
“If you went completely the other way and took away the control it would actually make the roads a lot safer in my opinion.
“The control that the authorities have makes it a great deal worse than it already is.”
Steve Morris from Lowther Road said parking was a nightmare, while John and Nadine Tomkins from Chester Terrace think the council need to rethink their strategy.
Another gripe among residents was the blanket 20mph speed limit rolled out across the city.
One resident claimed that 30mph was plenty and that many drivers continued to ignore the new, unenforceable limit.
Mr Inpett, who volunteers for the Environment Agency, said: “The air quality must be terrible now since they brought in the 20mph speed limit.
“The council thinks it’s more environmentally friendly, but cars are in lower gears and therefore emissions are much higher.”
Clive Peters, whose father worked at The Argus for 40 years, wants to see a return of the angling section of the paper and Malcolm Turner from MPT Decorators, who is down visiting from Kent, said he loves Brighton.
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