A call has been made for tighter enforcement of illegal parking in Trowbridge as drivers still continue to ignore restrictions in place.
Photographs show a number of cars illegally parked on Wicker Hill in the town centre, on stretches of road with double yellows and signs clearly stating that the area is a ‘no parking zone’.
The leader of Trowbridge Town Council, Cllr Stewart Palmen, said that illegal parking was still a big issue facing the town centre, and that while efforts are being made to tackle it, more needs to be done to deter it.
He said: “There is a problem with parking in the town centre, especially on Fore Street. I would like to see more enforcement, and people fined more to act as a real disincentive on Fore Street.
“There’s also an issue with parking down by the Town Bridge, where there’s some double yellows where people park. That blocks access to the Shires delivery entrances, causing problems with HGVs coming through there to unload.
“I did recently see a car there that had received a fine, so it’s clear they do patrols, but it’s just not frequent enough.”
As previously reported, last year Cllr Stewart Palmen was appalled to find that divers were ignoring the ‘no parking’ pedestrian zone in Fore Street and parking there in breach of the regulations.
Parking in the area is controlled by a gate that allows access for deliveries to shops but is designed to prevent other drivers from using the area.
This came after one man counted nine cars parked in Fore Street one evening. Cllr Palmen vowed to stop this and reported the flagrant breach to Wiltshire Council for them to fine anyone parking there.
Police were later seen asking drivers to move their vehicles during the period of no parking restrictions and repeat offenders were photographed for Wiltshire Council to take further action.
Highways and parking issues in Trowbridge fall under the remit of Wiltshire Council who say efforts are being made to stop the issues.
Cllr Nick Holden, cabinet member for highways at Wiltshire Council, said: “All areas of Wiltshire are inspected regularly as part of our routine patrols.
“Where specific parking issues arise in certain locations we will consider increased enforcement activity.”
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