Atherstone's barrier grief: Will returning to 'stop where you shop' speed up arrival of civil parking enforcement?

COMPROMISE SOLUTION HASTILY AGREED AFTER ALL SIDES BLAMED FOR 'NIGHTMARE' WEEK OF COMINGS AND GOINGS IN LONG STREET

MP SAYS REQUEST TO DECRIMINALISE PARKING WAITING ON GOVERNMENT SIGN-OFF AS TOWNSFOLK CALL FOR PEDESTRIANISATION AND EVEN RETURN OF GOLDIE'S BENCH

PARKING charges look set to make a speedier entrance into Atherstone as the ultimate "price to pay" for freeing the town from its traffic gridlock nightmare in the wake of this week's 'Barriergate' saga.

A request to decriminalise parking in the borough is awaiting Government sign-off while renewed calls for the town centre to be pedestrianised have been sounded as the "now-you-see-them-now-you-don't" Covid-19 Parking Bay Closure Plan took another dramatic turn.

Most of Long Street has now been cleared of the 144 6ft x 32 inch barriers which were meant to prevent any illegal use of the lay-bys in measures designed to support the reopening of local businesses and encourage people to use the town centre by way of reassuring a nervous public emerging from months of lockdown.

No sooner were the "limited period" barriers up – following an overnight closure of the road last Sunday – than they were "gone with the wind" in double-quick time.

That came after a compromise was forged as three authorities – town, borough and county councils – agreed to give delivery access and suitable Blue Badge accessibility on the main thoroughfare while still adhering to the social distancing measure insisted on by Warwickshire.

But the net result left one town councillor, who acted as go-between for the interested parties, "a bit bitter" and residents claiming shopkeepers have "won again" in getting their "free all-day parking spaces back".

Even Atherstone MP Craig Tracey got dragged into the tailgate of the storm – having to apologise for advising all the closures and parking restrictions had been lifted before announcing an "update" that some were to remain in place between Market Street and Church Street.

Newly co-opted town councillor and Printing Shed businessman Gary Chamberlain, who represented the town authority in recent discussions with Warwickshire himself on constant 'bollard watch', fumed on social media it was risking "putting me out of a job".

He added: "My life and business have suffered and I'm not a happy bunny

"Sorry if I sound a bit bitter, but I am."

At the beginning of the week when the barriers were first installed, and local councillors turned into Postman Pats in an eleventh-hour dash to distribute the crucial message that an on-street parking ban was imminent, Councillor Chamberlain told Nub News: "All town councillors are doing their utmost to support businesses and the safety of public in terms of social distancing

"None of us know how long this will have to be in place."

'Not long' was the answer as a hastily convened early morning meeting thrashed out a new limited restricted area of observance.

The outcome brought derisory comments on social media forums with Jan Tovey commenting: "Unbelievable.

"I for one thought it was a good idea and certainly grateful for the extra room they provided."

Opposing views brought William Haynes to argue: "Back to parking where you want" while Emma Flowers said 'Barriergate' was "crazy and a waste of time", adding: "No one used the extra space anyway and if people haven't got the brains to do one metre on a pavement, then there is no hope."

But Charlotte Porter asked: "So how will we social distance on pavements in pinch points by Toffs and Greggs please?"

Resident Doreen Kerr called for the immediate return of 'Goldie's Bench', as somewhere for the elderly and vulnerable to sit.

She said: "It's a nightmare.

"We need the benches and don't care where they put them – just as long as we can sit and rest."

The arrival of the barriers – part of a countywide Covid Recovery Plan – closed off the entire length of Long Street to parking.

In addition to the parking bay closures, a loading bay was made available behind the short stay car park by the bus station in Station Street and access to Long Street is via the Arcade for shops needing deliveries.

It didn't go down well with businesses.

Town centre business Keri Ann's commented: "The delivery issue is an absolute nightmare. There is no help whatsoever, it's ridiculous."

Nandle Shanker of Home Comforts added: "It's just a big mess out there. "We have the same issue –being told to load/unload by the Arcade and carry the sofas and beds across town." But Atherstone resident Jozef Nakielski accused the authorities of "pandering to selfish and idle shopkeepers", adding: "The shop owners and managers have got their free all-day parking spaces back." His answer: "The town should be pedestrianised until 4pm." The upshot of the new "compromise" is expected to be a moral victory for at least one person. Town traffic crusader Harry Blackburn has been trying to get government endorsement to decriminalise certain parking in the town centre for seven years now. In early March – just before Covid-19 lockdown – a joint town and borough council application went to the Department for Transport to begin the formal process ushering in civil parking enforcement (CPE) across North Warwickshire by April 2021 The aim of the proposals, supported by Warwickshire County Council, is to transfer the powers under the Traffic Management Act 2004 from the police to the local authority – signalling the end of free parking as well as penalising drivers who overstay their welcome on the town's main roads and sidestreets. In February North Warwickshire leader David Wright said the local authority was committed to a full review of car parking in all the borough's main towns – Atherstone, Polesworth and Coleshill with a plan to identify other sites to support additional parking. This week Mr Tracey, the North Warwickshire MP, joined the debate. He confirmed the county council had put forward a request to decriminalise parking – and was now awaiting Government sign-off. North Warwickshire is the only local authority in the county where the remit for enforcement is not in the hands of a council. On the application, the MP said: "I submitted a letter of support last week and as far as I am aware all of the other relevant info has now been submitted. "The only slight word of caution is that government resources are stretched at the moment but I met with minister to stress the importance – not just in Atherstone – but across the borough."