There is a Car Park at LVC so.....

[Mangetout]

I think it's great that you joined to make a difference, Mr Hickford. Sadly, I fear one or two of your colleagues (..or enemies..) on the pc have joined to make a difference to themselves.

There was another function at the pavilion this evening- several people arrived on its doorstep by car again, as they have done for several years now at each and every night they host something.

If the pc really doesn't like all the drivers along there, how about I purchase a nice fat padlock tomorrow and stick it on the gate? I'll give the keys to the pc, and they can start again. I can't tell you how many times I've been close to doing that anyway in recent years.

This is one dingbat of an idea too far. I'm all for the use of the building as a sporting facility, as it is an important village asset, but I couldn't care less for a certain councillor's grandiose plans for the pavilion empire. They show little or no concern for their near (and not so near) neighbours. When it's hot, they throw open the doors so we can all enjoy the cruddy bleep-bleep boom-boom 'music', so we have to keep our windows closed.
While they're still counting the evening's takings, residents in Meadow Lane (and others) get to enjoy the spectacle of p*ssed up muppets (who bothered to walk) shouting, swearing and shrieking their way home at one o'clock in the morning. Sometimes, if we're really lucky, they'll toss their glass or bottle they've carried away into what counts as a front garden for some of us. One or two might lean on our cars to throw up. A few will get caught short, and think nothing of relieving themselves in the lane. On one pleasant evening two days before Christmas a couple of years back, one kind gentleman let himself go on my neighbour's front door, while his lady friend looked on admiringly and giggled to herself.

Many thanks to Sixlegs, Notgrumpy, NotaDailyMailreader and others for making such forthright points. I've got my usual dose of pre-Christmas man 'flu and your posts have cheered me up no end.  And, yes, a collective action is required. Points made by those not living so close to the rec as some of us might actually carry more weight.

[davidd]

I have a suggestion.

Put a padlock on it, give a key to the person that is responsible for the event with instructions for them to tell their users that the only access is foe deliveries (or disabled people if appropriate). Make them leave a £50 deposit.

If more than 2 or 3 vehicles then use the path the deposit is lost and that person is not allowed the key again.

People are just lazy (says the man who has just driven to the coop from Church Lane)....

People can, so they do.... They get used to it. When we bought our house many people seemed to think that they had a right to use our drive for Church Parking.. It did not take them long to get the message.....

D

[Mangetout]

Thinking about it, I'd be quite happy to close the gates at the village college, as I'm always still up at that time.

On the subject of the Co-op, David, you'll have been amused to see what I saw an hour ago. Someone actually parked across the end of Green Lane, because all the available yellow lines were already being parked on by the shop's customers. The chap just sat there, while his passenger did his shopping. Unfortunately, someone drove up Green Lane, to within an inch or two of the parked car, so the driver had no option but to drive off...... forgetting to turn his lights back on. I'm not sure how that can be topped. Maybe someone will try and park IN the shop itself!?

Back to the rec- there seems to be another 'do' on tonight. So far, only two vehicles are there, but the gates are at least closed (but not locked). I wonder if someone has seen this discussion..?

[jdtaylor]

The co-op problem needs sorting, as I've seen so many cars without blue badges there and the ones with, shouldn't have been there as the person with the badge really didn't qualify in my feelings for one. I'm just wondering if a couple of spaces on Green Lane could be reserved for co-op shoppers or who owns that former pub, just opposite, there is a large area in the front which is already bricked, if they are at work most of the day couldn't they let people borrow a bit of space there, or of course could a comprimise be set up with the chinese takeaway and boys ii men or even ask the wagon and horses to let people use their car park.

Something really needs to be done and there is possible spaces it's just getting it all made legal and fine with the land owners.

[mrs jellyby]

Having a blue badge doesn't necessarily entitle the holder to park on yellow lines.

As for qualification for a blue badge, it's not always apparent why someone has one. They don't just have to be limping......
There are quite a lot of conditions/disabilities that would entitle somone to a blue badge.


Another reason not to have a car park on the recreation ground is the congregation of mopeds in the summer, which is bad enough already.

[Sixlegs]

I honestly don't think that anyone has the right to tell someone that they are not entitled to a blue badge, unless you are a medical professional with all the details.

There is plenty of parking around the co-op people just have to be considerate and park in the legal places.  The pub car park is for people using the pub, and it is a private house opposite the co-op, would you want people parking on your drive?  I think that houses around the co-op are inconvenienced enough with the lorries and people parking on the yellow lines near their wall.

[Mangetout]

If the PC are "committed to stopping" the practice of driving to the pavilion for a game of bingo, and other pursuits, where were they this evening?
TWENTY ONE cars drove to this evening's number dotting. Not one member of the parish council was in sight to politely remind them that they shouldn't be driving their vehicles along a footpath (as stated on the parish council's own sign on the gates).

An impressive eleven vehicles managed to park on the solid forecourt, which left another ten that simply parked on the grass. After all the rain we've had over the last couple of days, you'd hope they'd display a little guilt at chewing up the grass. At least it's not another frosty night, otherwise they would be doing a lot more damage.

Possibly because of the unpleasant weather, only one pedestrian was forced off the footpath as the convoy snaked it's way through the rec- an elderly lady with her dog. Still, what does she matter when there's fun and games to be had at the pavilion?

It's so tempting to padlock the gates now, so they can't go roaring past at ten o'clock. 

[NotaDailyMailreader]

Ring the Police, Mangetout. Seriously.

[davidd]

lock it, lock it, lock it... When they have all parked inside...

[mrs jellyby]

Perhaps a mass trespass is in order here, like the gathering on Kinder Scout all those years ago, which effectively led to the creation of our National Parks, ensuring our green spaces were kept that way with access for all.... providing they're not taking motor vehicles on the footpaths of course!  Simply get a few brave souls together and stand your ground. The footpath is for people on FOOT. If it was intended for cars it would be called a road.

[jdtaylor]

I think simply lock it and the problem would be stopped in it's tracks.

[Mangetout]

Problems along similar lines in Cambridge-
http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Home/Gate-keeping-cars-off-common-open-daily-06012012.htm

[jdtaylor]

I know that's one of those odd things and what adds to things going on up there. I discovered their recycling bins in the start were not being separated properly from normal rubbish, let's just hope our village ones don't have the same problems than there and the good news is those were my own suggestion several years back and I know they've been a huge success and expanding to, let's just hope this very simple gate problem can be fixed, but why a manual gate can't be used with a padlock I don't know.

[mrs jellyby]

I take it the bingo is still going on at the pavilion? There were a dozen or so cars there tonight, half on the grass.
Looking at the tyre marks across the recreation ground, it would appear that one got bored of driving along the footpath, and turned onto the playing field near the gate to Joiners Road and made a bee-line for the pavilion.

I'm sure the parish council are doing all they can to resolve this, like sending someone along to remind them they shouldn't take cars onto a footpath (or are they?), etc, but I think they could perhaps suggest alternatives. For instance, why not hold this event at the village hall? Ample parking nearby that doesn't involve law-breaking, a pleasant venue that doesn't smell of stale beer and even staler jock straps and easier to get to and from, are just some of the benefits.

If the pavilion is that desperate for money, it could come to an arrangement with the village hall over income.

Sadly, with a big cheese on the parish council and a big cheese at the pavilion being one and the same person, I fear this will simply be allowed to continue even after it is pointed out to them that the footpath is already starting to break up with the increased traffic.

[Mangetout]

I think NotaDailyMailReader was right.....