Fortunately, perhaps, I was out with my camera phone yesterday, and got some pictures of this - In fact, I have a whole load of pictures of illegal parking and illegal loading (out of hours, or on the double yellows  or in the bus lane), and Simon's email spurred me to post them online - If you really think the problem was solved by sending a few traffic wardens in in the morning for a few weeks, take a look at http://mailspaces.com/spaces/spasm and have a look under the "A lorra lorra lorries" heading. (PS feel free  to join the group to get live feedback from your constituents on the issue)
 
Things have got worse, not better - Tesco does use some slightly smaller lorries than before (although Superdrug was unloading from a full sized HGV on Friday morning on the double yellows at 8.10), but they are still turning up when then are supposed to not be there - And then half the time, they are not even unloading, just waiting.
 
The biggest problem remains the parking, though - The loading bay, the bus stop, and the double yellow lines are used by non-St Margarets residents to park while they shop or get cash - The loading bay is a very attractive looking stopping point, and of course, once one car is there, then a whole load of others stop
 
I said when the loading bay was put in that no-one would read the little sign on the lamp-post saying "Commercial Vehicles only", and they don't.
 
A radical solution would be to fence the whole stretch from Broadway Avenue to the pedestrian crossing by the station, with one smallish gap to allow bus customers on and off, and perhaps a locked gate by the loading bay, with keys only for Tesco, Broadway florists, Superdrug and Gymoboree.  And a big sign on the fence saying that parking is available further up the road.  God forbid that people should have to walk a few paces to Tesco.
 
Somewhere in my filing, I have a photo of the then-prospective Lib Dem Councillors standing with Dr Cable outside Tesco, in support of the local campaign run by one Nigel Cannings - Amazingly, once in power, things have not got better but worse.
 
I did, once, threaten to lie down in that loading bay, and get the cameras in to film me being crushed beneath the wheels of industry - Do I really need to do that, or can we a) have some action, and b) the public meeting we were promised to assess the "temporary" extension of the loading bay
 
Many thanks
 
Nigel Cannings

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From: ...
To: ...; ...; ...
CC: ...; ...; ...; ...; ...
Subject: bus stop = tesco loading bay
Date: Sun, 6 Aug 2006 22:34:32 +0100

Councillors,

 

At 11.30am today (Sunday) I witnessed probably the worst congestion outside tesco since they opened.

 

A tesco lorry was parked (legally) in the loading bay and was unloading goods to the store, at the same time another lorry (GK02 XVE) was parked part in the bus stop and part on the zig zag crossing. This lorry was unloading bread to the store. A bus arrived and had to unload its passengers into the road as the driver was unable to gain access to the bus stop.

 

I went into tesco and spoke to the manager (Hari), he confirmed that both the lorries were delivering to tesco. The manager said he was aware that the bread lorry should not have parked on the crossing or the bus stop. 

 

Ten minutes later another lorry arrived and this time used the bus stop as a waiting bay whilst the original tesco lorry was still in the loading bay.

 

So councillors, can I ask what are you doing about this. It is clear that time and time again tesco make empty promises to the council and the council fails to take action when they break them. I recall that when the tories were in power that you were very keen to start a petition to force the council to take action against tesco - are you still as keen?

 

Simon.

 

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