Councillor Keith Aspden has hit out at the lack of a long-term parking strategy for an area of Fulford. Cllr Aspden met with residents last week from the Heslington Lane and Heath Moor Drive area who have raised concerns over parking issues, and who reported that there is a parking time bomb in this area of Fulford unless co-ordinated action is taken. Cllr Aspden will be launching a petition next month to push for the Council to take action.
The Council are set to tackle school-run traffic for Fulford School at the junction of Heslington Lane and Fulfordgate, with limited yellow lines in order to allow buses to easily pass. Local residents will shortly be consulted as the school buses are having increasing difficultly negotiating the turn from Fulfordgate. However, local residents at a meeting last week said that this was not good enough on its own, and was an example of just moving the problem on.
Cllr Keith Aspden, Liberal Democrat Member for Fulford, commented:
“Although I welcome consultation on improving bus access to Fulfordgate it is not enough on its own. I have been working with residents for some time to try to address wider parking issues in Fulford, some of which are related to the University. In the Heslington Lane and Heath Moor Drive area, residents have multiple problems with parking. These are caused by a number of factors, including businesses, schools and University parking. Last July I wrote to the Council to call on them to take action to address parking problems in the village after the Council considered proposals to address similar issues in other areas of the city, such as Badger Hill.
“After meeting with residents on a number of occasions, including last week, we feel the best way forward is for the Council, Police and University to consider tackling the issues together, before the parking problems continue to increase. Unfortunately, the Council has not produced a report or undertaken consultation with local residents, so we will be launching a petition in the area. The petition, which I will present to a future council meeting, will call on the Council to look at a number of suggestions and the need to find a long term solution to this problem.
“Without a joined up approach the Council is just moving the problem on and on. I want council officers to consider what actions could be taken to ease the problems experienced by residents.”