Bid to ban parking on roads
Shoppers could find themselves with nowhere to park if plans to outlaw parking on a number of roads near a Stourbridge shopping centre get the green light.
Dangerous parking along a string of roads outside Wordsley Green Shopping Centre could be a thing of the past if the proposed banning order is introduced.
Bells Lane, The Green, The Haven and Chapel Street would be affected. Some shoppers park in the roads and visit the centre.
Dudley Council aims to tackle parking on the roads because they are so narrow in parts that it is difficult and unsafe for two-way traffic to pass.
The council has had a flood of complaints from people living nearby who say that at peak times during evenings and weekends levels of obstructive parking is dangerous.
It will be the responsibility of Cabinet member for transportation councillor Angus Adams to sign the plans off if they are given the go-ahead on Wednesday.
He said: "There has been major problems around there for quite a time now and we have had a lot of complaints. It gets so clogged up that buses can't get through and peoples homes and driveways are blocked which is not very good."
In a report to the council, he said two sections of The Green, north east and south west of the shopping centre, were particularly narrow.
Lawnswood Road is a bus route but also narrow at the point where it meets High Street traffic signals.
At Bells Lane junction, Bells Lane is narrow, as is Lawnswood Road, with houses built on the corner restricting visibility.
At the junction of The Green and Bells Lane, road widths are narrow and another junction with Ryder Street is very close.
There were two objections to stopping parking but approval is sought at a cost of £1,000. Traders say it will not have a big impact as there are a parking spaces in front of shops.
By Ben Lammas
