Thatcham residents call for action over irresponsible parking

Sainsbury's customers block residents' driveways.

West Berkshire Council has said it will work with residents to try and ease parking problems associated with Sainsbury’s store in Thatcham.

The council was responding to the calls for action by Shirley Clarke, who lives at Coombe Court, to tackle irresponsible parking by the store’s customers.

Mrs Clarke said that people were making the road unsafe by blocking residents’ driveways and parking on double yellow lines. She added that delivery vehicles were also manoeuvring inappropriately while trying to access the store.

Shortly after the supermarket opened in February last year, the council said that it would have to monitor the situation before any resulting impact could be determined.

The council is now looking to consult with nearby residents for their views on the problem.

Council spokeswoman Peta Stoddart-Crompton said that the authority was aware of the concerns and that the head of highways had already met Mrs Clarke to discuss the problem.

Ms Stoddart-Crompton said that Mrs Clarke had regularly contacted the council and that it had responded by painting double yellow lines, white lines in front of residents’ driveways and signs on the A4.

She added: “Any further measures are either not feasible due to lack of footway width for bollards, or would start to impact on the ability of other residents of Coombe Court or their visitors from being able to park outside their homes.

“However, we intend to carry out a local survey with Coombe Court residents to identify the exact nature of the concerns and establish whether there would be support for further parking restriction, but to date we have no evidence that there is a significant parking problem.

“We have noted her concerns that some larger delivery vehicles are manoeuvring in Coombe Court and we will take this up with Sainsbury’s.”

Sainsbury’s said that there was no increase in complaints relating to parking at the store, although it added that it remained committed to resolving the handful it had received.