Beauty spot parking 'accident waiting to happen'

Residents of a Worcestershire village say dangerous parking near a local beauty spot is an "accident waiting to happen".

There is a 22-space car park near the site, but when the weather is warm the area becomes popular with swimmers, sunbathers and paddleboarders.

The car park quickly fills up which leads to people parking on the pavement by the narrow Eckington Bridge, forcing vehicles across a double white line in the centre of the road.

Worcestershire County Council said it was aware of the concerns and was working with West Mercia Police and other authorities to help resolve the matter.

Officers attend the site when reports of problematic parking are made and "take action as necessary", Insp Rebecca Williams has said.

She added that officers also conducted patrols in the area as regularly as they could.

"We recognise the impact of increased visitors to Eckington Bridge on the local community, especially when demand for parking exceeds supply," she said.

"The potential for dangerous parking at the site is one we take seriously and we are engaging with partner agencies to achieve a lasting solution to the problem."

Eckington Parish Council said a recent letter it had sent to West Mercia Police had "not resulted in a satisfactory response", adding the authority was told that traffic wardens could not ticket cars at the spot as there were no double yellow lines.

The Highway Code says people must not stop or park on a road with double white lines, except to pick up or set down passengers or to load or unload goods.

"I think it's really dangerous, and I think there's an accident waiting to happen," one local resident told BBC Hereford & Worcester.

"We regard this as a quiet road and to have so many cars parked on the main road is really quite dangerous," he added.

Another said: "There will be an accident, and we don't seem to be getting any help off the authorities. I just wish they'd take it seriously and come and see the problem."

A local farmer said he had seen people park across the gate to his field.

"It just becomes a nightmare trying to get tractors, trailers [down the road]," he said.

"They park across the gates, [so] we coned it off - people just move the cones and park across it and we can't get in [or] out."

Councillor Adrian Hardman, who represents the area, said the issue was a "real dilemma", adding that it was unlikely more car parking could be provided nearby because potential land that could be used was either privately owned or part of a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

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