Problems on the new Car Park
As I drove into town this morning, I thought I would just drive into the new car park to see whether it was being used by many motorists - only to be greeted by a group of residents from Bromfield Court and a huddle of Council officers and employees.
The officers were there to decide what was needed by way of shrub and hedge planting now that the contractors were off site. This was good news in view of the fact that I am very concerned at the loss of the main hedgerow. I was told that there would be interplanting with new hedge species and that the Bromfield Court boundary would also be planted with native species to fill in the gaps. I just hope the available budget will allow a full and proper planting scheme to be carried out.
Whist this news was welcomed by the residents, they were very concerned at anti-social behaviour which had taken place over the weekend. Obviously the young folk of the town have latched onto the fact that the new car park is an ideal area for skate boarding. Large, smooth, downhill pieces of tarmac are perfect for the skaters but, sadly, they bring other problems with them. Damage to the borders and retaining wall, drinking of alcohol and urinating in public were all witnessed by residents. They called the police who responded very swiftly but the residents are naturally concerned that this sort of behaviour will become the norm.
I agreed to contact the Borough Council and request that signs be erected to prohibit skateboarding. I also agreed to ask the CCTV control room to monitor the car park from the two adjacent cameras and to record any incidents. I was pleased to hear from one of the officers that the four lights on the Bromfield Court boundary were to have timers fitted so that they switched off at night. And I promised to speak to the police to ensure that the car park was visited on a regular basis.
have your say
