West Berkshire Council member calls on Thames Valley Police to deal with Lambourn and Hungerford pavement parking

A DISTRICT councillor has this week called on police to take action over pavement parking.

The problem has recently been highlighted in both Hungerford and Lambourn.

In March a Newbury Weekly News reader said: “In Northfields in Lambourn, residents are subject to vehicles parking less than 10m from a junction, with all wheels blocking the entirety of the path.

"This has been continuously happening for weeks and on one occasion one vehicle did not move for 11 days solid."

They added: "They park tight to their hedge so the residents can't walk down the pavement.

"Drivers can’t see down the road and last week a child ran into the path of oncoming vehicles because he couldn’t walk on the pavement.

"Wheelchairs and pushchairs also have to go out into the road."

Despite the issue having been taken up with police on that occasion, the problem has persisted.

Residents said one van, pictured, has been parked fully on the pavement in Northfields for weeks, despite a West Berkshire Council notice requesting the owner of the vehicle to contact them.

The same problem is also an issue in parts of Hungerford.

Howard Woollaston (Con, Lambourn), said this week: “The problem in Northfields is largely a police matter – it’s a traffic offence to obstruct the pavement, so people should keep calling 101.

“I will be following this up with the inspector in Newbury.

“It’s a ridiculous situation and it’s dangerous, frankly.

“Unfortunately it’s not confined to Northfields, either.”

West Berkshire Council currently states on its website: “In parts of West Berkshire, footway parking currently takes place.

“In these areas, parked vehicles dominate the street scene and can cause dangerous obstruction to other road users, such as parents with pushchairs and visually/mobility impaired people and wheelchair users.

“Footway parking also results in higher maintenance costs for the council, since footways are not designed to take the weight of motor vehicles and, as such, damage to the pavement can occur.

“The Highway Code says: ‘Do not park partially or wholly on the pavement unless signs permit it’.

"Civil Enforcement Officers cannot deal with obstructions of the highway or parking on the pavement (unless the vehicle is parked adjacent to yellow lines).

"You will need to contact the police on the non-emergency number 101 to report these offences.

"If a vehicle is blocking your driveway and you are unable to get in and out of your own property, you will need to contact the police."