Resident pleads - end our West Street mayhem

At their meeting earlier this month, councillors were told traffic and parking issues on West Street were worse than ever.

One resident, Alan Lockwood, said problems did ease - but only during the time West street was closed for major road improvements in the second half of last year.

Mr Lockwood told councillors: “In 2017, there was a lengthy report in the Horncastle News about the challenges facing West Street residents - parking, buses going in and out of the school, students parking in the street.

“Our County Council representative (Coun Bill Aron) promised to look into these and seek a solution.

“We did have a solution during the roadworks but the challenge is that 19 months on, what are we going to do?

“Twice a day for about 45 minutes, it is absolute mayhem there with buses, cars and other vehicles travelling in and out of town.

“Can we ask LCC to find out what is going to be done. These things tend to drift into the mists of time.”

Mr Lockwood renewed his call for a residents’ permit scheme to be introduced in West Street - and other areas of the town with older properties which often lacked garages or parking areas.

Mayor Coun Brian Burbidge asked Coun Aron to raise the issues with Highways officials.

Regarding residents’ permits, Coun Burbidge said it ‘had been looked into’ but Mr Lockwood replied: “But we haven’t had any answers.”

Coun Burbidge said he understood residents wanted to park outside their own homes but indicated there weren’t enough parking spaces for the number of vehicles wanting to use them.

He added: “We are stuck with it.”

Coun Aron told the meeting he would raise West Street at a forthcoming meeting with Coun Richard Davies, Executive Councillor for Highways at County Hall. Coun Davies is due to hold two meetings - one to discuss general traffic issues in the town, and the other for on-going complaints about jams on Boston Road.