Council to act as drivers park on Castle Green

6:30am Monday 21st January 2013 in News Photograph of the Author By Phil Hill

Cars parked at Castle Green. Cars parked at Castle Green.

CAR owners damaging a recently unveiled £2.6million open space have been warned that action will be taken if they continue to park there.

A number of drivers have been parking in Castle Green, a revamped public area partially created on a former car park.

Motorists and pedestrians approached by the County Gazette at the site were confused as to whether parking is allowed.

A Taunton Deane Council spokeswoman said: “Castle Green is a designated open space in the heart of Taunton created for people to enjoy, to use and to join in events.

“Unfortunately, some drivers have not recognised the area as an open space and are using the paved areas as an ad hoc parking area. This not only spoils the open space, but also puts pedestrians and drivers at risk.”

She said the stone paving has been damaged by rubber and oil residue from vehicles.

“The access road through the open space to the Castle Hotel car park, and for deliveries to shops and pubs, is the only area vehicles are authorised to use,” she said.

“Taunton Deane Council is reluctant to put in physical measures to block access by vehicles and wants drivers to use public car parks nearby.

"If vehicles continue park on the open space the council will take more formal action to protect it as well as those wanting to enjoy it for the reasons it was provided.”

Comments(17)

FreeSpeech? says...
7:22am Mon 21 Jan 13

By action they mean issuing unenforceable fixed penalty charge notices as they would need to change the planning and apply to the Courts before they could enforce parking restrictions at present.

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I3enners says...
8:03am Mon 21 Jan 13

To be fair it does look like a car park

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CosApp says...
9:11am Mon 21 Jan 13

Stop blaming motorists for your incompetence and poor planning councillors.

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Slow down! says...
9:24am Mon 21 Jan 13

Heads should roll for this outrage, cars parking on open land that doesn't have any parking restrictions and no doubt spending money in the town to help keep the local economy moving.

Here’s an idea, rather than the space being used for fun fairs and an unofficial skate park why don’t the Council turn it into a car park (as there seems to be a demand) and make some money form it plus at the same time inviting people to the town centre to spend more money in the shops.

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lavender77 says...
9:25am Mon 21 Jan 13

How are the public meant to "enjoy" this area exactly? There's nothing there! It should have been left as a car park to allow people coming into the town to park easily and use our shops. Maybe then we'd have more shops left....

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Bob L says...
9:57am Mon 21 Jan 13

I Know we get many signs already telling us what we can & cannot do, there are no signs advising parking not allowed in this area , surely common sense needed to make people aware that parking is not allowed . This should make locals and visitors alike aware of the rules as people do not know unless they are told ! .

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Misty'sMum says...
10:27am Mon 21 Jan 13

From the picture, it still looks like a car park. How is it any different than before? 'An area to enjoy' should have grass and seating surely? Confused.

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Thurza says...
11:03am Mon 21 Jan 13

Clamp them and have a heavy release fee, the problem will be worse when they continue the paving over towards the Bingo hall. Traffic is not allowed to park in High Street so make it clear no parking here.' Misty's Mum', there is grass and seats in this area just not in the photo but they are little use to the disabled and elderly as some find that they can't get up the steps!

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CosApp says...
3:06pm Mon 21 Jan 13

Dear TDBC, you should note from the MAJORITY of comments ever penned about this project that you have made another mistake. Perhaps you need to start canvassing a few members of the public in future before spending such generous amounts of taxpayers money - whatever the source.

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Mi_Coc says...
5:27pm Mon 21 Jan 13

Thurza wrote:
Clamp them and have a heavy release fee, the problem will be worse when they continue the paving over towards the Bingo hall. Traffic is not allowed to park in High Street so make it clear no parking here.' Misty's Mum', there is grass and seats in this area just not in the photo but they are little use to the disabled and elderly as some find that they can't get up the steps!
Clamping is being made illegal because to many crooks were using it to extort money from people even selling their cars. You try fInding a bailiffs who wants to enforce a court order on a parking enforcement company.

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Mi_Coc says...
5:37pm Mon 21 Jan 13

CosApp wrote:
Dear TDBC, you should note from the MAJORITY of comments ever penned about this project that you have made another mistake. Perhaps you need to start canvassing a few members of the public in future before spending such generous amounts of taxpayers money - whatever the source.
It is a government pot of money that was only available for these type of projects. Taunton would not seen a penny extra for anything else, blame the labour government for this legacy not the current council which I am no fan of.

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FreeSpeech? says...
7:26pm Mon 21 Jan 13

Mi_Coc wrote:
CosApp wrote:
Dear TDBC, you should note from the MAJORITY of comments ever penned about this project that you have made another mistake. Perhaps you need to start canvassing a few members of the public in future before spending such generous amounts of taxpayers money - whatever the source.
It is a government pot of money that was only available for these type of projects. Taunton would not seen a penny extra for anything else, blame the labour government for this legacy not the current council which I am no fan of.
As stated it was wasted money whatever the source. The only councillor who has put themselves out concerning the town centre is Kelly Durdan.

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boliston says...
9:39pm Mon 21 Jan 13

The obvious answer is bollards to separate the pedestrian area from the vehicular area - I'm not sure why this was not done in the first place.

Someone is going to be injured before long if something is not done - I saw a large delivery van being driven at speed though the area the other day narrowly missing some pedestrians.

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souwesterly says...
10:48pm Mon 21 Jan 13

I can just see the council's response to the problem.....they'll paint double yellow lines all round the square and all over everything!
Somehow they seem to believe that yellow lines are the solution to everything.
Then they'll have to produce posts and signs to explain who can use the area and who can't, which will need more posts and signs.
Eventually the place will resemble a rather chaotic car park - which is what it was in the first place.

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Slow down! says...
8:25pm Tue 22 Jan 13

boliston wrote:
The obvious answer is bollards to separate the pedestrian area from the vehicular area - I'm not sure why this was not done in the first place.

Someone is going to be injured before long if something is not done - I saw a large delivery van being driven at speed though the area the other day narrowly missing some pedestrians.
I agree, its a farce telling people its a pedestrian zone only to have Castle hotel vehicles driving through at speed.

Sort it out before its too late

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madcow says...
9:16pm Thu 24 Jan 13

TDBC get rid of a car park, but still allow people to park there, im suprised they havent clamped them, they should be for disabled badge holders only, as the other car parks are too far away to get into town easily... they should also make the road and pavement clearer, as its not possible unless you looking down where one starts and the other ends.it wouldnt be so bad if parking was cheaper, im not knocking the people who park there, but today i saw 5 traffic wardens all walking together, did they not see it, or did they turn a blind eye.

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CosApp says...
9:32am Fri 25 Jan 13

madcow wrote:
TDBC get rid of a car park, but still allow people to park there, im suprised they havent clamped them, they should be for disabled badge holders only, as the other car parks are too far away to get into town easily... they should also make the road and pavement clearer, as its not possible unless you looking down where one starts and the other ends.it wouldnt be so bad if parking was cheaper, im not knocking the people who park there, but today i saw 5 traffic wardens all walking together, did they not see it, or did they turn a blind eye.
I think it is highly likely that the signage is NOT legally compliant and therefore they cannot do anything about it at the moment. Poor planning by the Council from the moment the pencil touched the fag packet and the champagne cork popped.

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