Cars regularly park across dropped kerbs near school and medical practice causing serious difficulties for disabled people
RESIDENTS living near a school and GP surgery where, they claim, cars are parked illegally on a daily basis say it is a “nightmare” — and only getting worse.
The area around St Patrick’s Primary School, Grange Medical Practice and Grangetown Hub – including Havelock Place, Lucknow Street and Bishop Street – is a hive of community activity.
But those who live there describe how parking is a daily battle.
“(I’ve lived here) 27 years and it’s never been this bad,” says Catherine Lazenby, 57, a wheelchair user who lives across from the school.
Her partner Stuart Henderson, 58, says that spaces on the street are often taken up by people heading to the doctors’ surgery – which has its own car park – or dropping their children off at school.
Drivers routinely park across the dropped kerb on the street corner outside their house.
Obstructing dropped kerbs can cause serious difficulties for disabled residents, particularly those who use wheelchairs or mobility scooters.
They are also important for blind people who rely on tactile paving to identify crossing points.
Credit: Rachel Fergusson
The problem makes leaving the house an ordeal for the couple, who often find the spaces allocated to their housing block taken.
“It’s like the Wacky Races. Everyone is sitting in their kitchen windows, as soon as one car moves it’s a race,” says Ms Lazenby.
“If I’m going out in the car, we’ve got to go around on the pavements to wherever the car is parked, then put me in the car and the wheelchair in the car,” she added.
Last week, Mr Henderson was forced to park their car in the disabled space further along the street, but ended up being fined because their blue badge had expired a couple of weeks before.
He would like drivers to be more considerate: “If I saw a house with [hand] railings outside, I wouldn’t park there.”
Tufayal Khan, 34, lives a few doors down and agrees the situation is a “nightmare”. On one occasion he had to park his taxi on a street that was less safe and the windows got smashed.
At busy times, he doesn’t go out: “I stay inside or I’ll lose my spot.”
Long-term residents say that, despite changes to the road over the years, the parking problem has never been this bad.
“It’s getting worse and worse and worse,” says Neffertiti Delgado, who has lived in the spot for 29 years.
Ms Delgado has raised the issue with the council and candidates running for election in Grangetown, but says her attempts have led nowhere.
“Those of us who used to be proactive, we don’t bother now […] It’s like no one listens,” she says.
Grangetown councillor Ash Lister said: “The council is currently consulting on an inner-city parking plan which would have an impact on most of Grangetown and I would encourage residents to make their views known on the issues and possible solutions for our community.
“We have raised the issue with the parking enforcement team but would also encourage residents to report directly to the council.”
The consultation aims to help address problems with street parking across Cardiff by freeing up parking space for residents and prioritising parking for those with blue badges.
Councillor Lister added: “Problem parking is a real issue for many of our schools across Grangetown, and the council have been working with teachers, pupils and parents to encourage active travel to and from school, to make our school gates safer places.”
- Cardiff Council’s parking plan consultation closes on December 1. Residents can share their experiences of parking in the city here.
