Dare we say it? Has parking around Sun Corner got significantly better since we conducted our traffic management poll in January? Is it possible that simply pointing out a problem - making public so many passionate opinions, sharing stories of pedestrian near-misses and emergency vehicle delays - has changed behaviour, at least for a while? Or is this just wistful thinking - or a post-pandemic holiday exodus?
It’s therefore just as well that the Parish Council can’t do much about Sun Corner for a while. Fired by the consensus to Do Something! we did briefly consider costing double yellow lines and looking into conservation area yellow lines but then caution prevailed, in the form of the Haddenham & Waddesdon Community Board. Elaine Hassell, the CB co-ordinator, told us that there is a county-wide Parking Team tasked with reviewing village parking concerns and reporting back to CBs, who would then be able to give informed technical and financial support. So… watch this space.
In the meantime, let’s build on the awareness raised by the poll.
If you’re lucky enough to have a garage or off-street parking space, please take a long hard look at why you’re not using them. Could you clear garage clutter or rearrange your front garden? Taking just a dozen cars off the main village streets would have a significant knock-on effect on congestion on Sun Corner. (Important point: several householders told us that they often can’t access their narrow driveways - because of cars parking too tightly, so please keep this in mind.)
The bottom line (sorry!) is that according to Highway Code, drivers should NOT park within 10 metres (32 feet) of a junction. This means that, with or without double yellow lines, cars parked on Sun Junction do so illegally and could be challenged by the Police. Similarly, parking with two wheels on the pavement is also expressly forbidden, whatever the circumstances. Even if you are “just popping into Brill Stores”, a child in a pushchair, or a wheelchair or mobility scooter user could be forced down into the road, with disastrous consequences.
Let’s see what we can achieve, pending that Parking Team review!
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