THE DREADFUL state of the pavements on Leamington’s Parade is causing countless injuries and costing thousands to repair each year.
The Observer has regularly reported in recent years on the pavements on the town’s main thoroughfare which are a patchwork of broken slabs which Warwickshire County Council spend between £12,000 to £15,000 a year carrying out makeshift repairs.
But despite clear signs informing drivers parking on the pavements is illegal at all times, many simply ignore them and pull up anyway to make deliveries – further damaging the pavements in the process.
The Observer offices look down on the Parade and staff have regularly seen people trip and fall over the cracks.
In one instance a skip lorry even knocked down a litter bin outside H&M before simply driving off.
And even county council employed contractors carrying out repairs and replacing slabs have been seen parked up on the pavements while they work.
But despite council chiefs previously having told us they were considering possibly installing bollards to stop illegal parking none have appeared.
An authority spokesman did tell us says nearly 700 drivers had been issued with penalty notices on the Parade in the past three years – although most of these are understood to be for not having a valid ticket or overstaying in pay and display bays on the Parade.
A spokesman said: “An instruction was given to the county council’s highway maintenance contractor, Balfour Beatty, some time ago that their operatives should not park vehicles on the Parade footway at any time while they are carrying out repairs.
“A Traffic Regulation Order is in place prohibiting parking on the footway along the length of the Parade. Penalty charge notices can be issued to any vehicles witnessed in contravention of this restriction by the civil enforcement officers.
“Anyone who sees a vehicle parked on the footway is urged to report such instances to officers to allow us to ensure this does not continue to happen.”
