Coned off again: Cherries' fans flummoxed as parking restrictions return to Littledown Drive

Littledown Drive Littledown Drive

FOOTBALL fans were again left flummoxed by extra parking restrictions – despite the council saying that they would not be in place.

As reported in the Daily Echo last month, AFC Bournemouth supporters complained after more roads around the ground at Kings Park were coned off than usual.

After that, the council apologised and said the restrictions for the home game on September 15 were “an exception”.

But at Saturday’s match against Walsall, fans again ran into the restrictions. Martin Stevens, from Merley, said: “The whole of Littledown Drive was coned off again. Somebody is giving them the authority to do it.

“Again, you turn up to park at your normal time and the space isn’t there, and you’ve got to scramble around to find one of the diminished number of parking spaces available.”

Another fan, Gary Chapman, added: “Littledown Drive and the surrounding area was all coned off again for the AFC Bournemouth game on Saturday.

“Again chaos ensued – people with disabled passengers were inconvenienced – and the local councillors got their own way again.

“What a great way to deal with public outrage; say it was an accident and won't happen again and just carry on doing it.”

Cllr Lawrence Williams, member for Littledown and Iford, said: “Littledown Drive residents have told me they are worried that on-street match day parking could potentially block the path of emergency service vehicles in their area. In light of these concerns I asked our street services team to put match day parking restrictions in place before the previous home match.

“We received complaints that these restrictions were excessive and so fewer cones were put in place for the September 29 game.

“I want to work with residents on this issue and I have received support from them in the past in favour of this approach.

“The main concern here is the safety of local residents in case of an emergency and I will keep working with them to find the best solution.”

Comments(19)

wonderway says...
3:33pm Fri 5 Oct 12

councilors suit them selves, vote coming up soon in this area another Tory voting scam, was there notices posted in echo, council web site that this restriction was going to be in place or is this "illegal parking restriction" by council. if worries about emergency access only one side needs restriction not both but it should apply 24/7 not when suits councilor

Azphreal says...
4:11pm Fri 5 Oct 12

I guess i will get stick but i can see why people who live there do not want their road filled up with supporters cars. I live nearby and my road is packed every match day meaning people have ended up with their cars stuck in drives and there is no way an ambulance or fire engine could get down the road. Why not have a park and ride or maybe enough parking at the ground for the supporters.

wonderway says...
4:32pm Fri 5 Oct 12

Azphreal wrote:
I guess i will get stick but i can see why people who live there do not want their road filled up with supporters cars. I live nearby and my road is packed every match day meaning people have ended up with their cars stuck in drives and there is no way an ambulance or fire engine could get down the road. Why not have a park and ride or maybe enough parking at the ground for the supporters.
yes maybe but it has to be legally done not on a whim of a councilor trying to get votes once Novembers been and gone he wont care what happens so restriction has to apply 24/7 so it applies to residents every saturday or weekdays nights not when suits by certain vote grabbers and why not just apply one side of road if access is a problem

Merleyman says...
5:00pm Fri 5 Oct 12

How can just one Councillor, because he doesn't want parking near his own house, arrange for Council Employees, at rate payers' expense (Saturday overtime rates) to blanket cover the area with traffic cones.

And they call that democracy?

sea poole says...
5:09pm Fri 5 Oct 12

What a pathetic little man this councillor is. How will the parking affect emergency access. I park there quite often on match days and for God's sake we're talking about ambulances or fire engines, not the bl..dy Titanic!

GARYafCb says...
5:19pm Fri 5 Oct 12

Surely the point here is that it is not legal for a councillor to decide when parking restrictions are enforced. This is just a blatant misuse of power.

And as for the complaints about parking from local residents - there has been a football ground at Dean Court for over a hundred years, so I would venture to suggest that it was there when they decided to buy houses in this area. Perhaps they should have thought of this before choosing where they were going to live.

oxoncherry2 says...
5:59pm Fri 5 Oct 12

You can book a parking space on someone's driveway in London and pay with paypal on t'internet. Why don't the richies near the ground do that?

pete woodley says...
6:15pm Fri 5 Oct 12

sea poole wrote:
What a pathetic little man this councillor is. How will the parking affect emergency access. I park there quite often on match days and for God's sake we're talking about ambulances or fire engines, not the bl..dy Titanic!
Its always been the same down there,local residents wanting their own way,and councillors vote catching.There is plenty of room,fair enough to moan if there was not.

fletch for manager says...
7:21pm Fri 5 Oct 12

pete woodley wrote:
sea poole wrote:
What a pathetic little man this councillor is. How will the parking affect emergency access. I park there quite often on match days and for God's sake we're talking about ambulances or fire engines, not the bl..dy Titanic!
Its always been the same down there,local residents wanting their own way,and councillors vote catching.There is plenty of room,fair enough to moan if there was not.
he was obviously bullies at school and now is abusing his power.. he should be investigated for abuse of his powers.

sea poole says...
8:24pm Fri 5 Oct 12

I think the chairman of AFCB is lining this councillor up for the next manager!

sea poole says...
8:24pm Fri 5 Oct 12

I think the chairman of AFCB is lining this councillor up for the next manager!

wonderway says...
8:32pm Fri 5 Oct 12

i think he already sits on a bench

Loyal2AFCB says...
8:34pm Fri 5 Oct 12

A typically lame response from the Echo once again. If any other section of society was being targeted in this way there would be questions asked as to whether the councillor has the authority to implement such restrictions. But of course, on no account must the Echo be seen to be siding with the club or its supporters.

Football banning order yob says...
9:00pm Fri 5 Oct 12

I recommend all fans go to the council website and email this jumped up twerp and ask him who he thinks he is.. Can not be lawful.

REO Speedwagon says...
8:42am Sat 6 Oct 12

The ground was there way before any of the residents that now live in the area. It's a consideration that they should of thought about before buying the property.

It's like moving close to an airport then complaining about the noise from the planes.

These are the same people who moan when they can't park right outside the door of there local supermarket.

REO Speedwagon says...
8:43am Sat 6 Oct 12

The ground was there way before any of the residents that now live in the area. It's a consideration that they should of thought about before buying the property.

It's like moving close to an airport then complaining about the noise from the planes.

These are the same people who moan when they can't park right outside the door of there local supermarket.

polblagger says...
10:01am Sat 6 Oct 12

How do these residents get their road blocked off for 'emergency vehicle access' when virtually every side road opposite Kings Park has this limited access permanently. Which is then compounded by badly parked football fans cars on game days.

harrythered says...
10:49am Sat 6 Oct 12

One simple question, is the coned off area covered by a legally enforceable traffic order. If not then surely Councillor Williams is acting on his own and has no legal right to do what he is doing. That is the question the Echo should be asking. .

djd says...
10:49am Sat 6 Oct 12

The problem is almost as bad in most of Bournemouth and certainly in a lot of roads in the Littledown/Iford constituency.
Perhaps Mr Williams should use some of his 'clout' in other area of his ward.
Mr Williams needs to remember that he represents all the residents in that ward, not just those in his local area.
Make the most of this Council sir, you won't get my vote again.

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