Car parks in poor state

TOWN leaders in Nailsea are concerned for the safety of shoppers and pensioners due to the ‘poor conditions’ of some of the town’s car parks.

Councillors say that Link Road, Station Road and Clevedon Road, which are owned by North Somerset, suffer from pot holes, uneven surfaces and the Link Road facility is not accessible for disabled people.

Nailsea Town Council is worried that if the car parks are not repaired, they will continue to deteriorate and could cause an accident to shoppers using the facilities.

Town council clerk, Ian Morrell, said: “There are three car parks in particular that we are concerned with.

“We know that there’s no budget for the maintenance of those car parks but there has been a lack of investment in car parks for a number of years so the concern is that they will continue to deteriorate if there is no money to improve them.

“Issues like the accessibility of car parks and people’s safety is obviously still something that’s important, even in difficult financial times.

“Clevedon Road had a lot of money spent on it a few years back so that’s not a major concern and it is also a long stay car park which is used by people working.

“We are more concerned about the short term car parks which are used more frequently by shoppers and old people, who are more likely to have accidents.”

Councillors would like the pot holes filled in, drop kerbs added in places where they are needed and overgrown trees and shrubbery to be maintained.

Nailsea’s planning and environmental committee has written to North Somerset Council to complain about the state of the car parks and appeal for some improvements to be made.

North Somerset Council spokesman, Nick Yates said: “One of the problems with the maintenance for the car parks is that they are free so they don’t generate any budget for maintenance, but we have compiled a maintenance list for all the car parks, with costs, that’s being considered at the moment.”