Bognor estate locks out student cars with double yellows

County council highways officials want to put in the anti-parking measures on the Glenwood Estate after complaints by residents and councillors.

The problem has worsened in recent years as the number of students at the adjoining University of Chichester campus has increased to 1,000.

The campaign has led to Tony Kershaw, the council's head of legal services, starting formal consultations about painting the lines. Closing date for comments is March 5.

County councillor Francis Oppler, who represents the estate's residents, said: "Parking is the number one problem that people from the estate have raised with me since I was elected more than three years ago.

"I fully support the intention of putting double yellow lines around pinch points and at various junctions on the estate.

"Single yellow lines should also be put along other stretches of the roads which would still allow residents to park there in the evenings and at weekends.

"I sent out a letter to the residents recently and I had a 98 per cent response back in favour of the restrictions.

"I am sad the students have made this necessary, but I have seen some breathtaking examples of totally inconsiderate and thoughtless parking outside people's front doors and over drives and corners.

"That is not good enough. It has created a dangerous situation as well as hindering emergency vehicles who try to get around the estate and buses."

The university had worked to help solve the situation, by supporting the creation of a special parking space in the nearby coach park, but this had been little used, he continued.

He added that any expansion of the campus '“ as the university intends to more than 2,000 students '“ must be accompanied by a sufficient number of parking spaces.

Mr Kershaw intends to prohibit waiting on lengths of 11 roads. They are: Brooksmead, Glenway, Glenwood Avenue, Hook Lane, Macklin Road, Madeira Avenue, Mead Lane, Neville Road, Northcliffe Road, Upper Bognor Road and Westway.

He states the ban is proposed to avoid danger to pedestrians and other road users because of badly-parked cars.

His statement says: "Increased numbers of students attending the Bognor campus of the University of Chichester have increased demand for parking in the Glenwood Estate area.

"This frequently leads to parking close to junctions, causing obstructions and reducing visibility.

"The proposed order introduces restrictions prohibiting waiting at several junctions and restricts waiting on other affected lengths of roads in the area in order to improve safety."

Peter Tierney, the university's director of estates and facilities management, said the county council's proposals were supported.

He said: "Our Bognor campus has limited car parking spaces and we manage these spaces for the benefit of the university community, with staff and students paying a small annual fee to park on campus.

"We take the issue of student parking off campus very seriously and realise indiscriminate parking causes concern among residents.

"Students are discouraged from parking on the Glenwood Estate. We have provided additional parking at the district council's London Road coach park free of charge for eligible students.

"However, where students still park in residential roads we remind them that they must be considerate to local residents and careful when parking."

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