Worcester hospital parking making Oakmont Drive ‘dangerous’
Residents of Oakmont Drive off Newtown Road say people regularly park on the 'dangerous road' since the new A&E opened at Worcestershire Royal Hospital last October.
CRASH: A head-on crash at the 'blind bend' in Oakmont Drive in Worcester (Image: Supplied by Colin Jones)
People living in the new Stableford development have described having to reverse onto Newtown Road because of the junction parking bottleneck.
Some have taken it upon themselves to put out traffic cones and have made signs to deter people from blocking the busy Newtown Road junction.
But they are removed or ripped up.
One woman battling cancer could not get to her hospital appointment for chemotherapy outside the city because the road was blocked by parked cars which she described as being very 'stressful'.
SIGNS: Signs have been put up to deter parking in Oakmont Drive off Newtown Road in Worcester, opposite the entrance to the new A&E (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)
Others say fire engines and larger emergency vehicles would not be able to get down Oakmont Drive because of the parking.
Eleanor McCullagh, 31, of Oakmont Drive, a mum-of-two and paediatric registrar, said: "People also park right at the junction of Newtown Road and you have to go onto the wrong side of the road to get into Oakmont Drive. We're really worried that someone is going to get killed. Nobody is doing anything about it."
She said one of her neighbours was assaulted when they asked a woman to move her car to allow fire engines and ambulances to get through.
DANGER: Residents have reported having to reverse onto Newtown Road when they try to turn into Oakmont Drive but meet traffic coming the other way because of parked cars and the narrowness of the access road itself (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)
However, because the road is unadopted, Worcestershire County Council cannot introduce yellow lines or other parking restrictions.
Meanwhile, residents say Elan Homes, which built the new estate, is not aware of a timeframe for the road to be adopted. A spokesperson for Elan urged people to call police.
BLIND: The bend in Oakmont Close in Worcester with cars parked on the corner (Image: Supplied by residents)
Colin Jones, 69, of Oakmont Drive said: "The parking is horrendous. We tell people 'can you move your car?' but they get quite bolshy about it so you don't say anything.
NARROW: Oakmont Drive showing the narrow section in red with the 'blind bend' nearest the camera (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)
"Since the A&E opened the parking here has gone ballistic."
One woman, who did not wish to be named, described having to reverse the length of Oakmont Drive and around 'the blind bend' when she met a bin lorry coming in the opposite direction.
RECOMMENDED READING: Worcester murder investigation: Damian Homer to appear in court[1]
RECOMMENDED READING: Update on BMW driver involved in the fatal A44 by Worcester[2]
She said her husband had proposed parking restrictions be enforced by a private parking company, even conducting his own research and finding an organisation to run the scheme.
However, she said this has been rejected by Elan Homes even though her husband argued it would have had no cost for residents or the developer.
"It's a health and safety issue and they recognise it is an issue. They said they wanted to help us but they still won't look at the parking permit suggestion," she said.
Once she described having to reverse onto Newtown Road 'which you can't do because it's illegal' because of parking at the junction. "There's just nowhere for people to go. It is a dangerous junction," she said.
A spokesperson for Worcestershire County Council said: “Oakmont Drive is a privately maintained access road. A public bridleway runs concurrently with the road but the parking has no impact on its use.”
Elan regional managing director Jeremy Attwater said: “The layout of the roads at our Stableford development was designed in consultation with and approved by the local authority.
"While we understand residents’ concerns and frustrations about parking, we are unable to implement measures to restrict parking in the area. If a vehicle is parked dangerously or in a way that would prevent emergency vehicle access this should be reported to the police.
“The process of the roads being adopted is due to be completed soon. Residents will then have the opportunity to liaise directly with the highways authority regarding any concerns or queries.”
References
- ^ RECOMMENDED READING: Worcester murder investigation: Damian Homer to appear in court (www.worcesternews.co.uk)
- ^ RECOMMENDED READING: Update on BMW driver involved in the fatal A44 by Worcester (www.worcesternews.co.uk)