Once again parking issues in Hanover and Elm Grove have got everyone's pants in a twist. Cars parked behind yellow lines on the pavements were decorated with flyers this week. First by a pretty little yellow one from the council, with a warning stating they would receive a fixed penalty notice after 3rd October if they parked illegally. Then by the Hanover and Elm Grove Local Action Team inviting them to a meeting Monday 26th September to object.

The council have turned a blind eye to the pavement parking in Elm Grove up until now claiming 'the situation is now becoming just too dangerous'. On the face of it, one can't help thinking this is a tit for tat reaction to residents overwhelmingly rejecting the controlled parking zone and successfully managing to stop the scheme from being implemented. However, when you dig deeper into the issue (or read Argus Community Reporter Roy Pennington's reports) it seems the Hanover & Elm Grove Local Action Team have been lobbying to get 'some' of the dangerously parked vehicles penalised.

Therein lies the problem. How on earth can you make a parking ticket stand for a few of those who have parked behind yellow lines, albeit obstructing views for turning vehicles, and not for others? Living on Brading Road, I can see the problems from both angles. My heart was in my stomach some mornings on my way to work with the leap of faith I had to make to turn out of my road. But I know that all the displaced vehicles will make it harder for me to park. Whilst we're not using the car hardly at all while I'm on maternity leave, when we do need it I'm not thrilled at the thought of being forced to park a distance from our front door with a toddler and baby to organise.

The action team have quite clearly stated they want a sensible solution (what exactly, no one seems to be talking about) and the council have waded in quite heavily with the penalty notice warning. I look forward to hearing about the meeting and any creative ideas for making parking safer and convenient – I shall unfortunately be at home seeing to my 7 week old.

Whatever your views, locals should attend the action meeting at The Hanover Pub, Monday 26th September, 7pm.

Readers who submit articles must agree to our terms of use. The content is the sole responsibility of the contributor and is unmoderated. But we will react if anything that breaks the rules comes to our attention. If you wish to complain about this article, contact us here

Readers who submit articles must agree to our terms of use. The content is the sole responsibility of the contributor and is unmoderated. But we will react if anything that breaks the rules comes to our attention. If you wish to complain about this article, contact us here