A councillor is calling for a crackdown on verge parking which is blighting dozens of streets across Brighton and Hove.
Grass has been worn away to leave mud. Obstacles placed by the council, such as wooden posts, have been torn out.
And some verges were deeply rutted as well as boggy and puddled during and after rain and looked like small sections of tank-churned battlefields.
Dawn Barnett, who represents Hangleton and Knoll award on Brighton and Hove City Council, said: “Hangleton is a lovely place to live. It really is.
“But some people aren’t taking pride in where they live. They want to park right outside their door instead of walking a few yards.
“They’re destroying the verges although some of this is down to delivery drivers.
“I get asked why the council doesn’t do something about it – but it’s not the council that’s the problem.
“It’s the few people who park where they shouldn’t. They’re spoiling it for everybody.
“Some people say we should just concrete them all over but the grass soaks away the rain.
“If all this was concrete, the water would just run down the road. We need the grass for drainage.
“There was enforcement in Portslade. People were given £70 fines. I’d like to see some enforcement over here. I get lots of complaints.
“If they put two around Portslade one day, two around here another and two somewhere else the next, they’d earn their money in a week.
“It’s a shame because it’s spoiling the appearance of our roads.
“It looks like army tanks gone over some of them. I’ve never seen it looking so bad.”
Some people had placed rocks to deter parking or had embedded stakes in the ground.
When the council put stakes in, it carried out checks first for underground cables and pipes.
I live on a major bus route in portslade and have no option to park on the verge.
If i parked like my neighbour who parks with all four wheels on the road it would make the route a living hell for everyone and insurance claims from scrated and dented vehicles would go up over night.
Surely getting ride of the grass would be the answer and mean less maintenance for the council’s?
After all you can’t mow mud !!!!!
Then start with the poxy taxis parking where they like double parking on double yellows loading bays and blocking the rd along surrey street every night and the wardens just ignore this and walk stright past them !!!!!
Well said. There is plenty of parking space up there. Why are people unwilling to park a short walk away? Walking prolongs life.
Meanwhile, talking of life, to plant verges with wild flowers might also deter people from driving upon them – and encourage the creatures such as bees who are vital to our very existence.
It’s bad in mileoak as well, no consideration .
Look at Hove Park Road the top part near Dyke Road is disgusting and it is down to people dropping kids off to Lancing College and the nursery and lorries parking overnight.
Looks appalling and not safe to walk on.
Parking in hove in horrendous as it is, but what’s so special about sunning hill avenue and storrington close there are other areas that have verge parking like Isabelle crescent but that’s ok it’s not in a posh area, stop moaning about parking on verges and get more parking bays put in so people can park responsibly, if it’s that bad it should have been dealt with years ago. Here’s a suggestion put a railing up all along that area, oh you can’t it might spoil the scenery.
How about mums walk the children to school leave car at home. Then walk back and get it. I did this with my three children we walked every day.
Any anti social parkers should be fined straight away. Don’t we have enough CCTV cameras to do this?
I am a pedestrian, cyclist, motorist and lorry driver and have seen the increase in selfish driving and parking and believe large,immediate fines is the only answer. I do ask drivers why they have parked in a particular place, and mostly receive abuse and swearing. The sensible replies show selfishness and no concern for other road users. This is a form of bullying which wouldn’t be acceptable in other walks of life.
Schools, pavement parking, verges should be targeted.
There are websites where you can upload photos of anti social parking, but they are not well publicised and are pretty ineffective.
I’ve often watched police cars drive past cars parked on zebra crossings, on double yellow lines and on the pavement, on corners at junctions etc. It would only take a couple of minutes to issue a ticket or warning.
We have to become more pro active – like London- in order to protect and improve the urban environment.
I agree they look a mess, but people need to park and there are not enough spaces,due to double yellow lines, permit parking etc. Why not take the grass verges away and have pull ins for more parking and still leaving the width of the road and pavements. If cars parked with all 4 wheels on some roads fire engines,dustcarts etc wouldn’t get by.
I think that all cars parked ILLEGALLY on verges, pavements and right on street corners should be towed and crushed, and the owners charged the costs.
And for those who say they “have to” to leave room for larger vehicles to pass… if you can’t park legally without blocking the road, DON’T PARK!
Take away grass put in bays plus water run offs this would save the cutting grass and letting the grass being left to be washed down in drains and car owners not having to clean there cars