Concerned Lyminster grandmother appeals for better parking

Loving gran-of-three Glyn Daughtery, of Lyminster Road, has spoken of her concern about the lack of dedicated parking for parents with young children at the Waitrose’s Avon Road car park.

She claims that parents with toddlers and young children are regularly forced to walk into on-coming traffic to reach the store, in Anchor Springs.

Mrs Daughtery said: “The situation is completely ludicrous and is an accident waiting to happen.

“I have three grandchildren, two five-year-old twins and then a younger two-year-old.

“At one point I had to look after all three of them and while going popping into the store. I couldn’t believe there wasn’t any parent parking available.

“We had to park at the back of the store and walk into on-coming traffic to get to the entrance, which I feel is absolutely outrageous.

“It’s difficult enough keeping an eye on one child, but to have to watch three youngsters, while trying to safely traverse the car park – no parent should have to be forced to do that.”

Mrs Daughtery, who first complained to the store in March, warning them about the potential hazard, said that since then, nothing has been done to rectify the problem.

“It’s a simple fix. All I’m asking for is a couple of spaces for parents with young children, closer to the store.

“They already have seven spots for disabled people – and rightly so.

“But as a parent and carer of young children, I feel discriminated against by the store’s decision not to have any specialised parking.”

A spokeswoman for Arun District Council, the authority in charge of the neighbouring St Martin’s car park, said the facilities in Avon Road were the responsibility of Waitrose, and not the council.

A spokesman for the store couldn’t confirm whether the store would be converting existing spaces into dedicated parent parking.

However, the store’s branch manager, Simon Dickinson, said that improving safety at the store was one of its top priorities.

Within weeks of taking over last year the company had installed a zebra crossing to provide customers with a safer route across the car park.

It has also improved the lighting and signage at the car park.

Mr Dickinson said: “We would like to reassure Mrs Daughtery that we truly value our customers’ feedback and would like to apologise if at any time she has felt this not to be the case.”