Residents speak out over fears parking issues on Cheylesmore road could block an ambulance

It's also causing a "dangerous blindspot" for drivers



Illegal parking on a Coventry road is reportedly so bad that residents fear ambulances could be blocked in an emergency. Drivers park dangerously on double yellow lines "most of the time" according to those living on Daintree Croft, a cul-de-sac in Cheylesmore.

The cars create a "dangerous blind spot" at a junction with busy Daventry Road and people are often forced to walk on the road, a meeting heard.

There have been two car crashes at the junction in four years, including one in November last year.

Now 32 fed-up locals have signed a petition calling on the council to put in bollards by the yellow lines to block the vehicles.

For long-term resident Richard Whitmore, his wife's health emergency was the tipping point. Back in October, she suffered a burst aneurysm and needed an ambulance.

"Fortunately the road at the top of the Croft was clear at the time because as soon as the paramedics arrived they had to use breathing equipment to keep Brenda alive," said Mr Whitmore in a statement to a council meeting.

"If they had been delayed in any way at all by illegally parked cars, the outcome would have been very different.

"It is vital to all the residents that the road is kept clear for emergency vehicles."

Parking problems on the Croft were bad nine years ago - resulting in the double yellow lines - but now they've become worse, he told a meeting yesterday, Wednesday, June 21.

The opening of Burger Boi and a new parking control system at a local business last year created a "perfect storm," he said.

Shopkeepers, shoppers, takeaway users and delivery drivers now park on the road regularly, ignoring access-only signs.

"Delivery drivers park on the corners creating a new dangerous blind spot for people leaving the Croft - often you cannot see down the Daventry Road," he said.

"Often pedestrians have to walk on the road because of blocked pavements. This is worse for families with buggies, disabled and the elderly."

Parking patrols by the council aren't enough, as officers are only there for a short time, according to Mr Whitmore. "It's like building a sandcastle with an incoming tide."

Bollards would allow permanent access for ambulances, keep pavements clear and help drivers see when turning out of the road, he concluded.

Mr Whitmore spoke at a council meeting to discuss petitions relating to roads in the city yesterday.

Ward councillor Roger Bailey, who supported Mr Whitmore's petition, told the meeting he'd seen an ambulance get stuck on the road.

But officers said physical measures like bollards would need to be balanced against access to some of the houses on the road and a dropped kerb on the corner.

Footpaths further into the road might be too narrow for the bollards, and the council would need to make sure they're not pushing the problem elsewhere, they said.

However, the meeting agreed to look into putting in planters as a temporary measure on corners by the junction to see if it improves things.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Whitmore said: "We are hopeful that the experimental planters suggested for the corners of the junction with Daventry Road will help with the issues we have.

"However, in the planning officers' opinion, there is not enough room for bollards inside the Croft.

"We are concerned about that point because blocking the corners could make the area worse, where pedestrians are forced onto the road and emergency vehicles are blocked by illegally parked cars."

It's no different from every other street in Coventry!