AS A 75-year-old widow who has been a resident of Bournemouth all my life and Winton for 54 years I would have appreciated in these isolating Covid times, a more thoughtful response from parking when I appealed against a PCN fine on October 28.

I was fined for parking my Vauxhall Meriva in front of a dropped kerb which extended the entire frontage of the property (No. 5 Osborne Road).

A wet, and windy evening. I did not want my elderly passenger to whom I gave a lift to walk far. She has balance and eye sight impairment. I left 10ft car access to the empty forecourt.

I could not find another parking space on the road. At 9.20 we were totally staggered to find the PCN.

A car owner I subsequently found out had rung the council and a civil enforcement officer was called out even though she had gained access to her forecourt in her normal parking spot.

Outside there were no yellow or white lines or timing restrictions.

Winton roads are becoming increasingly difficult to park in with these never-ending long dropped kerbs.

I have learned that local councillors are not able to support residents in these individual cases.

Maybe councillors could be influential in highlighting the parking issue where more and more people are having dropped kerbs extending across the entire frontage of their properties leaving little space for others to park.

In my frequent walks to Winton shops I see many cars parked in front of dropped kerbs and as long as there is access for cars onto forecourts had not seen it as a particular problem as it happens so much. I was obviously wrong.

The public need to know they risk being fined for parking in front of a dropped kerb even when access or exit can be gained as in my case.

So many drivers I have spoken to do not know this.

The council must be only too pleased to receive money from fines when residents ring up and complain, which I can understand if access or exit had been blocked.

Property owners are paying a lot of money for such wide dropped kerbs but increasingly there is less space for others to park.

Bad parking abounds in Winton roads, eg cars parked on corners, and pavements restricting access for pushchairs and pedestrians.

Indeed prior to my PCN I could not exit my (Winton) gate (less than 10ft) when a large van was parked for hours outside blocking my exit.

CAROLYN GARDINER

Norton Road, Winton