Pocket park planned to tackle pavement parking

A community group hopes it is now one step closer to building a pocket park after more than three years of negotiating with council red tape.

A group of Round Hill residents first came up with plans to install planters by the bus stop at the junction of Prince’s Crescent to stop pavement parking in July 2019.

After prolonged negotiations, Round Hill Green Spaces finally put in their planning application this month.

Dominic Furlong, who submitted the application on behalf of the group, said: “We’re grateful for the support of council officers and our ward councillors, Pete West and Sue Shanks.

“It has taken three and a half years of negotiations with various council departments to reach this point and it’s been a real learning process.

“We’ve had to jump through a large number of hoops simply to gain permission to create a community pocket park at the bus stop using planters.

“The council says it wants to encourage more small-scale community greening initiatives across the city but for this to be practicable, it needs to simplify the process.”

The application says several residents have narrowly avoided being hit by moving vehicles on the pavement by the bus stop, including young children.

Cars and vans parked two abreast sometimes completely block the pavement, forcing people into the rod to pass them.

It adds: “A number of Round Hill residents have reported buses not stopping when they were waiting at the bus stop because they couldn’t be seen by bus drivers.”

Complaints to the council and Sussex Police have had no impact on the problem, which has instead increased over time.

To date, the application has attracted 18 comments in support, including one from a ward councillor whose details have been redacted.

Just one comment objecting to the proposal has been made, from a resident who says it will make walking more difficult.