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Thursday, November 20, 2008, 16:27
They took the chance to make their views known at a Partners And Communities Together meeting at Dorchester Town Hall.
County, district and town councillors, along with representatives of the emergency services, heard from a number of residents that the illegal parking is a hazard to motorists and pedestrians alike.
One was concerned that emergency vehicles like ambulances would be hindered by cars which narrow the highway.
Others said the motorists concerned were visiting restaurants In High East Street and failing to use a car park just round the corner.
Another said that when he inquired to parking services about an illegally parked car, he was told that there was nothing which could be done because the wardens responsible for enforcement finish work at 7pm.
The audience at the PACT meeting, which came from across Dorchester, voted to make the issue the number one priority to be followed up.
The group, which is chaired by the Rev Jane Culliford, will present a response from Dorset County Council at the next meeting in January.
One resident, who did not wish to be named, said after the meeting the issue had been ongoing for a number of years and the authorities had been slow to act on the parking which she says had made her life a nightmare.
She said: "Someone asked me why I didn't just move if it was so bad. But why the hell should I move?
"There weren't all these restaurants and takeaways when we first moved here 22 years ago. This was a quieter road then."
She said residents had previously petitioned Dorset County Council on the issue. In March 2005 they called for a traffic warden to be employed between 7pm and 9pm. An alternative suggestion was empowering residents to issue parking tickets.
The petition read: "We would do it for free just to keep these cars from parking outside our homes every evening.
"The residents of this stretch of road may be put at risk by delays caused by illegal parking should they require the emergency services."
Dorset County Council's traffic and safety manager Tony Mackle said that he had not been aware of concerns raised at the PACT meeting or of any new complaints received by the council with regard to people regularly parking illegally in Icen Way.
He said if visitors or residents in the area were found to be parking on double yellow lines, both during the day and in the evenings, parking enforcement officers would take action against them.
He rejected the idea of residents being able to issue their own tickets as such activity would be subject to regulation.
Anne-Marie Goodbody, parking manager for Dorset County Council, said: "We are aware of the problem on Icen Way. We do enforce overnight, although we have a large area to cover and can only enforce there from time to time in order to encourage compliance with traffic regulations.
"We will monitor the situation and will revisit Icen Way to address the issue if necessary."
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