Shropshire Council aims to solve Bridgnorth hill's parking woes

The situation with parking at Bernards Hill in Low Town has become so bad that, according to one resident, people are now squabbling over spaces and also causing damage to cars.

Simon Jones, Shropshire Council's Cabinet member for highways and transport, said that councillors have spoken to residents about the parking problems.

He said: "Shropshire Council officers, and Christian Lea and William Parr, local Shropshire Councillors for Bridgnorth East and Astley Abbots, have been involved in discussions with residents of this part of Bernards Hill regarding their parking issues.

"The volume of residents' cars vastly exceeds the space available on the highway outside the properties. Various options have been considered and investigated; however, none are able to be taken forward to provide any tangible improvements to the situation.

"The section of Bernards Hill causing concern is adjacent to the junction with Hospital Street and is public highway belonging to Shropshire Council."

Councillor Jones said that on-street parking is unrestricted and discretionary on this part of the highway and is understandably used by adjacent residents who do not have any off-street parking provision.

He said: "Season tickets for the Severn Street car park are currently available for residents to purchase at the standard rate; however, we are now considering whether Bernards Hill residents could become eligible for a reduced rate annual parking permit.

"This proposal would require a statutory public consultation to be carried out to amend the existing Traffic Regulation Order; but would ultimately ensure that, whilst not the ultimate solution, there was a low-cost alternative to the parking situation for residents.

"This is being discussed with officers to ascertain how this matter can be taken forward."

James Nalborczyk, who lives at the bottom of Bernards Hill, said that the parking problems were worse there now than at any time during his seven years of living there.

He said: "Someone now needs to take ownership of this and to do something. My concern is that things will come to a head very soon if nothing is done."