Car parking causing traffic blockage in Princes Road

From Thanet District Council "Thank you for your email concerning the vehicles parking in Princes Road, Ramsgate.

Thanet District Councils Civil Enforcement Officers can only enforce vehicles that are parked on restrictions i.e. double yellow lines and as there are no restrictions in the area that you have described in the email we would not be able to enforce this parking.

It is the responsibility of the Police to enforce vehicles that are causing an obstruction to either traffic or pedestrians so it might be worth reporting the problem to the Police for them to look into.

Lastly, Kent County Councils Highways Department are responsible for putting in new safety restrictions and if they are put in the road it is then our responsibility to enforce the restrictions. If you feel that the area would benefit from having restrictions then you would need to contact KCC highways Department on 0845 8247800 and ask for Mrs Day.

I hope this information is of assistance and if you need any further information please contact our office again."

I totally agree with this report. I have forwarded a link to this page to kent.highwayservices@kent.gov.uk and hope for a speedy positive outcome to this problem.

The road is closed today for resurfacing and would you believe it - there are still cars parked on either side by the junction with Station Approach Road. I suspect that the nearby railway station have put up the car parking charges and so commuters are now using this section of road as a free car park - it's not such a problem at the weekends or in the evenings.

This received from Highways - parking restrictions coming in the autumn.

"Thank you for your enquiry concerning Princes Road, reference 17103384. I have been able to establish that this area has been investigated and restrictions will be introduced. The Traffic Regulation Order is progressing and we expect restrictions to be in place by autumn 2010. Kind Regards"

I believe that another correspondent has been in touch with KCC who will be doing something (?) later this year

It is my understanding that KCC will be imposing parking restrictions later in the year.

Understand that the wheels are grinding exceeding slow but will sort thyemselves out by the autumn

There is a van parked on the west side of Princes Road. It's been there three months now and TDC say they can't move it because its tax disc isn still in date. Yellow line painting will be interesting - maybe they'll paint round it and we'll see the results in the local press (Like the 1.5 metre cycle track in Margate!) See http://www.fixmystreet.com/report/129156

No change that I can see except that the abandoned van now has two flat tyres. Nearly totalled by a police car a couple of days ago - I had come up Princes Road and was waiting for the opportunity to pull out into Station Approach Road when a police car waiting in the queue to turn left from Station Approach Road into Princes Road decided that he hadn't got the patience for this, pulled out of the queue and raced down Station Approach Road just as I was pulling out. Missed me by inches.

No change. The van went a few weeks ago but the promised yellow lines have yet to make an appearance.

Following emailed to KCC Highways. "I refer you to the following link regarding parking problems in Princes Road Ramsgate, and in particular the entry made by Mr Frank Batt on 31st March 2010.

http://www.fixmystreet.com/report/103407?e=637477;n=165679

I have checked the KCC Highways website and can find no reference to a TRO, Proposed or Made, covering this problem. I would be grateful for an explanation and an indication of when this extremely dangerous situation will be resolved."

http://www.kent.gov.uk/roads_and_transport/highway_maintenance/traffic_regulation_orders/proposed_tros/thanet.aspx

Following received from KCC

Dear Andy McCulloch Thank you for your email regarding Princes Road, Ramsgate. On the 8th September 2010 Kent Highways passed this over to Thanet District Council to be considered by them and a letter was sent to Frank Batt confirming this. Our website: - http://www.kent.gov.uk/highways contains all of the latest information on traffic and travel, winter maintenance, roadworks and road safety.

You can also report and track any faults in your area.

Many Thanks Sarah

Kent Highway Services

As you can imagine, a fairly brisk response despatched ny return!

Following update received from KCC

Dear Andy, Thank you for your email regarding Princes Road. Your request has now been logged with the Transport and Development Team within Kent Highway Service who will advise you of what is going to happen regarding these lines. After looking again at the previous log of 17103384, it does advise that they were added to the Kent Highways list for consideration in September 2010. You are able to track the status of your request by clicking on the following link: http://www.kent.gov.uk/KHSFaults/ For any further communication regarding this query please quote this reference number: 17406870 Many Thanks Kerry

Photos taken mid-morning - the problem becomes a lot worse at rush hour or if a lorry is trying to get up the hill at the same time as cars are trying to go down

Another picture taken at the same time

And a third

Yellow lines as indicated would certainly help. Note the orange car in the previous picture parked less than 10 metres from the junction (Highway Code 243)

The latest email from KCC; not holding out much hope of improvement I'm afraid.

YOUR ENQUIRY REF: 17406870

Dear Mr McCulloch

Thank you for your enquiry about the possibility of having double yellow lines installed in this locality.

Kent Highway Services and South Eastern Trains have aspirations to improve access to Ramsgate railway station. As a part of these proposals, the intention has been to review the existing yellow lines in the vicinity of the station. However, due to current budgetary constraints, it has not been possible to progress this scheme any further to date.

A meeting has been arranged for this week with Thanet District Council's Parking Services team, to explore the alternative options for addressing the issues you have raised.

Yours sincerely

Steve Darling Transportation Planner Kent Highway Services 08458 247 800 www.kent.gov.uk/highways

Following received from Steve Darling,Transportation Planner with Kent Highway Services.

"I can confirm that a meeting took place recently between KHS and TDC officers, to discuss various parking matters, including the situation in Princes Road, Ramsgate. As a result, it was agreed that Thanet District Council's Parking Services team will now progress the advertisement of proposed new waiting restrictions in this locality. I understand that this will take place in the near future.

As previously stated, there is currently no budget for a wider scheme to improve access to the station. If funds become available, proposals could then be worked up in more detail, and local residents (and other interested parties) would then be consulted as a part of the scheme's development."

I queried whether this merely meant further talking and no doing and his response was as follows:

"TDC will now be formally advertising the proposed yellow lines. There will then be a consultation period where people can make their views known. If objections are received, this will need to be reported back to local councillors for a final decision.

If you require further details on this consultation, I would suggest that you contact TDC's parking office direct for further clarification / assistance, and ask to speak to Ms Mary Watts."

Make of this what you will

TDC planning signs posted in the area. Double yellow lines, pretty well as proposed in my post of 19th January. Only 17 months to get this far!

Still cars parked here.

At long last someone has done something. There are double yellow lines on the west side of Princes Road and this junction is now a lot safer. It would have helped if they had extended the DYLs on the east side of the road back to the corner, but I guess you can't have everything