For the residents of Lower Prospect, a small cul-de-sac of fifteen houses just off Blowhorn Street in the St Martins area of Marlborough, being able to park anywhere near to where they live is a lottery. But if successful, once a space has been secured, being able to get the car out again – that can be an even worse, much worse (see above). At Monday’s (30 March) meeting of the Town Council Planning Committee Councillors heard from many residents about the problems they face on a daily (actually nightly) basis and responded to their repeated appeals for some parking restriction to be implemented.
The overwhelming call is for a Residents Parking Zone to be created in this area. And, in contrast to many other urban areas where zones are created, this would be for the overnight hours between 5pm and 7am as that is when the problems happen. Most other Residents Parking zones have daytime hours of restriction as that is when their problems occur. So any Residents Parking Zone, to be effective, has to apply to the hours when the parking becomes problematic, and in Lower Prospect that is overnight.
This issue was first raised back in 2023, more than two and a half years ago. It was then supported by the Town Council, as it has been again, but it went off to LHFIG (Local Highways and Footways Improvement Group) to be discussed, evaluated and hopefully approved. Two and a half years ago.
There is a sense of genuine frustration within the Marlborough Town Council about the length of time it takes for any important issues such as this Residents’ Parking Restriction proposal to get sorted, resolved and actioned. Two and a half years, so far.
Is this long for LHFIG? No. As a comparison the proposed pedestrian crossing over Port Hill to The Common has only been with LHFIG for SIX YEARS. And Wiltshire Council are now responding, again, by asking the same questions that were asked at the outset – SIX YEARS AGO.
This report isn’t just about highlighting the inefficiencies and inertia of what LHFIG in practice is – a ‘black hole’ of bureaucracy. Somewhere that important proposals get shoved only to disappear and without effective resolution for what can be a complete Council four-year electoral cycle, or even longer as is the case for the Port Hill crossing.
For the residents of Lower Prospect, is this acceptable? They, along with every other resident of Marlborough fund Wiltshire Council. They – we – are the customers. The Council is there for us. Therefore the Council should respect that relationship and ensure that their actions and decision making processes accord. The LHFIG structure clearly shows that this is not so. As we have experienced in other situations, it’s where the executive of the Council – the ’employed officers – do their own thing, irrespective of elected representative intervention which is ignored. This is not democracy.
Way forward: Keep applying pressure on LHFIG to act. One response so far has been to state that an overnight restriction would not be possible as enforcement officers only work during the day. Is that acceptable? No. The Council could quite easily resolve that issue, and quickly, if that was their decision. Regarding LHFIG we could propose that the structure be ‘tweaked’ to make it more effective and accountable. Firstly – make membership of this committee transparent. Who sits on this committee? And why – their roles? Make all meetings open to the public so that we – Wiltshire Council customers can observe what is said, what decisions are made, and by whom. And also make these meetings democratic. Decisions don’t appear to be made by the meeting, no voting system applies, so who makes any decision? Probably the Highways engineers, in their own time and space. This ‘balance’ of decision-making has to change, towards democracy.
Or, let the Town Council make a decision. NOT LHFIG. That would be democratic. Deliver a solution that makes it possible for the residents of Lower Prospect to be able to park, properly and acceptably, and also be able to use their cars at any time. Soon, with the advent of the York Place development these same problems will spread and affect St Martins, Blowhorn, The Green and possibly further afield as well. And residents of this entire wide area could end up being stuck in the LHFIG bureaucratic morass for years. And not able to park overnight, or possibly at any time of day or night.
So over to you, Wiltshire Council. We pay, you act……….
March weather in Marlborough – less rain but grey with the odd burst of sunshine
