Tuesday, 29 August 2006
On my return from my hols, I find this on my e-mail – I wonder what happened?
From:Cllr Ben Khosa [mailto:...]
Sent: 14 August 2006 09:56
To: residents; simon chapman
Cc: ...; Elaine Capizzi; Nigel Cannings; Peter Mahnke; Cllr Philip Morgan; Cllr Geoff Acton
Subject: RE: bus stop = tesco loading bay
Simon
Sorry for not getting back to you but my understanding was Geoff Acton had been in touch and explained that this problem is on the agenda to be discussed this Thursday by Cabinet members. We will be in touch asap but rest assured the matter is in hand.
Regards
Cllr Ben Khosa
From:residents [mailto:...]
Sent: 13 August 2006 23:12
To: simon chapman; Cllr Ben Khosa
Cc: ...; Elaine Capizzi; Nigel Cannings; Peter Mahnke; Cllr Philip Morgan; Cllr Geoff Acton
Subject: Re: bus stop = tesco loading bay
Ben, further to Simon's comments.
I've tackled Tesco's Manager about this, and his answer is simple (according to what he's been told by Head Office).
They are sticking to their promise to the Council in that they have agreed that any Tesco vehicles will come during
the recommended delivery hours and be of an appropriate size. He maintains that if the vehicle doesn't say
'Tesco' on it, then it doesn't fall within the boundaries of the agreement - irrespective of whether it's making a delivery to the shop;
for example being the bread and milk delivery vehicles.
Harry (Jacobs)
----- Original Message -----
From:simon chapman
Cc:harry jacobs ; ... ; Elaine Capizzi ; Nigel Cannings ; Peter Mahnke ; Cllr Philip Morgan ; Cllr Geoffrey Acton
Sent:Sunday, August 13, 2006 9:23 PM
Subject:bus stop = tesco loading bay
Ben,
Re: our conversation last week, regarding the worsening tesco situation you said that the councillors were meeting to discuss the issue.
Could you please update us on the outcome of your meeting?
It seems that tesco head office continually give assurances to councillors/council officers that they are 'good neighbours' but as the attached pictures show they couldn't care less about St. Margarets. The recent usage of the bus stop and crossing as a loading bay has been because they have another of their own lorries using the loading bay. It seems to me that the only way to resolve the situation is to 'hit tesco in their pocket' if they break the law. The council should impose a fine of £1000 for any lorry unloading/waiting in the bus stop or better still why not ask tesco to give the council a cast iron guarantee that they will not use the crossing/bus stop as a waiting or loading bay and if they do they will voluntarily donate £1000 to local charities. The C.C.T.V. camera could be used to gather evidence.
Also, are you aware that the parking attendants that cover Crown road and surrounding roads do not have tesco on their routes? I have been shown the attendants route map which includes Crown road and St.Margarets road as far as Koblers bakery, but amazingly does not include tesco - some 10 seconds walk away!
Simon
So that is about 1.5 a day – Must be working overtime…
From:Robert Johnson [mailto:...]
Sent: 17 August 2006 14:44
To: ...
Cc: Louise Woolley; Mick Potter; Mervyn Bartlett; Allan Bone
Subject: parking enforcement in St Margarets Road
Importance: High
Good afternoon Mr Cannings,
I have been provided with a copy of your e-mail dated 16/08/06 sent to street management and customer services.
I can confirm that since 01/04/06, a total of 191 penalty charge or warning notices have been issued for parking contraventions observed in this road.
This shows the presence of an active enforcement patrol by our contractor NCP.
These regular patrols will continue and any observed parking contraventions will be dealt with accordingly as prescribed in the Road Traffic Act 1991, as amended.
With regard to the suggestion concerning changes to the road layout and in particular the loading bay, this is a point that needs to be addressed by our Traffic Planning section, to whom your e-mail was also sent.
Regards,
Can you tell us exactly what these “improvements” might be – It will have to be something pretty amazing, as it seems that double yellow lines and a bus stop have had no effect on stopping people parking outside Tesco
And 191 penalty (which includes “warning” according to NCP) notices amounts to between 1.5 and 2 a day – Anyone standing outside Tesco can tell you that you would exceed that between 8.00 and 8.15 on almost any day of the week.
Also, what will the meeting with Tesco be about – can we please have an agenda
Personally, I feel very let down – I can only remind our new councilors of when they were photographed outside Tesco, and expressed outrage at what was happening
Before the last election, there were proposals (from the Council) to erect bollards along St Margarets Road to prevent parking/loading, and of imposing a weight restriction on the road – I never thought I would say it, but it seems to me that the Tories were actually proposing to do more
I can see no option but to step up the grass roots campaign, as I feel that the council is still failing miserably on this issue. I am sorry if you feel that you are doing something to improve the issue, but everything proposed has been tried, and failed before – I had hoped for some real action.
Nigel
