HGV drivers using road as lorry park (From Worcester News)

Littering and use of bushes as a toilet are among problems

4:00pm Tuesday 19th February 2013 in News

THERE seems to be no end in sight to problems caused by lorries parking overnight in a residential area.

Ross McFarlane, chairman of St Peter’s Parish Council, is calling for action to be taken against HGV drivers who use a section of St Peter’s Drive, just off the Norton roundabout of Broomhall Way, Worcester, as a lorry park during the evenings.

He cites the lack of appropriate facilities along with drivers littering and using bushes as toilets as particular problems, but acknowledges it is a “difficult” situation to fix despite existing for years and only getting worse since last summer.

Mr McFarlane said the local authorities should be “resolving the issue in terms of stopping the lorries from parking there in the first place, not when they do park up.”

He said: “The parish council would like to take some positive action, putting chains, bollards and other physical barriers up, but we are not the highways authority.

"It’s getting to the point where I have been told they are publicising it as a place that’s suitable for parking up. It’s not acceptable.”

But no immediate solution appears to be forthcoming as no illegal activity has been identified. Andy Chinn, parking and enforcement services manager at Worcester City Council, said: “Our officers have visited the area several times but have not found any illegally parked vehicles. “We will continue to monitor the area this week and carry out any necessary litter enforcement action.”

A spokesman for West Mercia Police said they could only get involved in the highway matter if someone was actively obstructing the highway and needed to be moved to clear the road.