PARKING ‘NEEDS SORTING OUT’
Village Voice No 266 January 2015
Melbourne & District
by LUCY STEPHENS
ONE of Melbourne’s best known property owners has urged community leaders to come up with a solution to the town’s growing car parking problem.
John Blunt, whose family own many properties in Melbourne, has written to The Village Voice after he and his wife tried to visit the local church fete one Saturday but were forced to “give up and head home” having not found anywhere to park. The letter went on to ask whether Melbourne’s new houses, coupled with increased car ownership, could “seriously affect the viability of our town” and posed the question as to whether charging for car parks – which are currently all free – might help ease the problem. When questioned by The Village Voice, many shopkeepers along the Derby Road agreed that parking was becoming a major bugbear, with the town’s central High Street car park generally full shortly after 9am. The car park is heavily used by the town’s workforce and also by residents living in flats who may not have a vehicle space adjoining their property. One shopkeeper said: “My husband brings me every day because I can’t find space to park. We get customers coming into the shop who say ‘I came on Monday but couldn’t find anywhere to park so I’ve had to come back again’.” Businesses along the Derby Road told of the problems of delivery drivers on a tight schedule who could not find the space to drop off goods.
NO ROOM ... town car park is full as usual.
They also reported regular angry stand-offs between drivers along the narrow Derby Road and vehicles forced to mount the pavement due to lack of space. Few, however, thought that charging for parking was a good idea, saying it could put off shoppers and would also impact on people who come into Melbourne to work. Some suggested adopting a three-hour time limit along Derby Road with exemptions put in place for residents. There was strong support for a new car park for Melbourne, or, failing that, better signage for those that already exist – such as the space around Melbourne Assembly Rooms. District councillors Jim Hewlett and John Harrison said in a joint statement: “We wonder if John tried looking behind The Assembly Rooms? There are often spaces there when the main car park is full. However, there is a parking problem in Melbourne, especially on Saturday mornings. There are a number of reasons for this: increased car ownership, the success of our shops and restaurants, and the growth of the village.
“The district council has a policy of no parking charges on land it owns across the whole district, as this encourages people to shop locally rather than in large out of town supermarkets, and it would be unfair on Melbourne shops and shoppers if we only charged here, encouraging them to go elsewhere. “We have been searching for land for a new car park in the village but have drawn a blank. “We were hoping to use the spare land behind the old garage next to the public toilets, but the county council’s highways team vetoed this because of road safety concerns. “Any proposal to introduce parking charges would need consideration by our parish council and our retailers, their staff and their customers. “We encourage further consultation and debate on the important and sensitive issue of our parking facilities.” Melbourne Parish Council chair Wendy Earp said: “The parish council is aware that at certain times and on certain days the parking spaces available in the main car park behind the Lamb Inn can be limited and, whilst this issue can be raised for discussion, there is no
easy solution to the problem. “There is currently no readily available land for increased parking provision and, even if there were, neither the parish council nor SDDC have the funds available to purchase it. “Introducing car park charges would also not be without cost and would only be effective if strictly policed and applied to all car parks, along with the imposition of restricted parking on all the streets around the centre of Melbourne to avoid diverting the problem elsewhere. The possible detrimental effect of car park charges on the local businesses which help to make Melbourne such a thriving community would also have to be considered.”
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Baby in car drama
MELBOURNE ESTATE AGENTS Residential Sales and Lettings Tel: 01332 865696 Melbourne: 01332 865696
MELBOURNE’S Derby Road was brought to a standstill when a car containing a sleeping baby rolled across the road and hit a shop. Police were called just before 1.30pm on Monday, December 22, after the Vauxhall Astra slid over the road and careered into French interiors shop La Vie en Rose. There was no-one at the wheel at the time and a sleeping baby girl was in the back. Four officers attended the scene which blocked the road. But no-one was hurt and the incident is now closed.
PICTURED are just a few of the people who took to the slopes of Brown’s Field in Melbourne for some fun in the sun following the snowfall of Boxing Day.
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