A butcher’s shop owner is concerned about a proposed red route in London Road, Brighton, after his suppliers and rubbish collection service were fined for parking outside.
Graham Maides, who owns and runs M&B Meats, in London Road, received his first ticket yesterday (Thursday 10 August) for parking outside the shop to load the van for deliveries.
One of his suppliers has already pulled out of delivering after receiving a parking ticket.
Even the commercial refuse collector has fallen foul of what Mr Maides believes is a new parking regime.
He said: “Where the Santander was (now Costa) is where the loading bay is. We used to have one by Poundland, but then the bus stop moved, and the pavement was extended. We never used to have a bus stop there.
“There is a tiny area before the bus stop but, if another van pulls in to deliver, they get a ticket for being on the bus stop.
“We’ve only just started getting tickets as we didn’t know about the camera. Now everyone has them.
“A lot of the time, the area in front of the shop is filled with Deliveroo drivers for the KFC. Sometimes there are seven scooters on the pavement.”
Having running his independent business for 26 years, Mr Maides is concerned that, if his suppliers refuse to deliver, it will be the end because his shop has no rear access.
Mr Maides is also worried by Brighton and Hove City Council’s proposal for a “red route” along London Road, with the loading bays 150ft away. He said that it was too far for suppliers whose deliveries included 150lb – or 70kg – pig carcasses.
And it was particularly frustrating, Mr Maides said, that the fine was issued before 7am when disruption to buses and other traffic was minimal.
His business has also lost out on low-cost parking because Mr Maides used to keep his vans in the Oxford Street car park – now a building site as the St Peter’s Medical Centre expands.
Instead, he rents a private space and has an annual ticket for the London Road car park.
Mr Maides added: “I’m paying £3,000 a year to park our vans when they’re not in use and getting fined for parking up for deliveries to earn the money to pay for parking.”
The council’s “red route” consultation is currently open on its website until Sunday 17 September.
A map included as part of the consultation shows a loading bay just south of Ann Street, a second small bay just south of York Hill and a third on the opposite side of the road, north of Baker Street.
Clark Maides filmed a delivery by a supplier who had to park in Oxford Street.
Labour councillor Trevor Muten, who chairs the council’s Transport and Sustainability Committee, said: “We’ve installed a new CCTV camera on the London Road to help keep the northbound bus stop opposite Francis Street clear.
“This followed complaints that buses were continually unable to access the bus stop due to other vehicles parking in it.
“It is well known that vehicles other than buses are not permitted to stop in a bus stop, including to unload. This applies 24/7.
“There are loading bays south of Ann Street or north of Baker Street that traders can use for deliveries and waste collections.
“Loading is also permitted on some side streets with double yellow lines where there isn’t a loading ban.
“Penalty charge notices issued for parking on double yellow lines can be appealed online by providing evidence of loading.
“In June 2021, councillors agreed in principle to introduce red routes along this stretch of the London Road and also on the Lewes Road.
“Red routes are designed to improve safety, traffic flow and air quality.
“We are currently engaging with the community on what red routes will look like – and a further period of consultation will start once the restrictions are in place for a period of 18 months.
“We would encourage local people and traders to give us their feedback before Sunday 17 September.
“To do so, please visit https://consultations.brighton-hove.gov.uk.
“We would stress that no decisions have been taken yet and all comments will be taken into consideration.”
Sometimes traders need access to Dixons
He parked where he should not have, and the colour of the lines would not have changed the outcome, so the ticket is justified perfectly here.
However, if the designated loading zones are indeed too far away to be reasonably used, then that needs to be taken into consideration with the road structure.
Slightly inaccurate reporting – Mr Maides did not receive a ticket for “parking outside his shop”, he received one for parking in a bus stop which has always been ticketable. Red routes won’t change this simple fact.
The council should listen to traders that are trying to do the right thing and arrange deliveries for 7am though, and consider a more time-zoned restriction where red routes are only for peak hours.
Big trucks park in the ‘bus stop outside the Co-op on Portland Road in Hove.
I’m glad this was in the news.
It just gives me even more reasons for not coming into Central Brighton to do any shopping!
Because you can’t park in a bus stop?
Some clever idiot decided to fill all the parking bays with tarmack during COVID as a temporary measure. Now that was some years ago and the tarmac is still there… Hence the massive lack of loading bays. Where M&B meats is there is approximately 20 meters of cycling docking and or racking. Whos idea was it to put this there when you have so much space by ann street.
Lewes road absolutely needs to be red route. But London road, just remove the tarmac from the parking bays, will be cheaper
Are there no retail premises on the Lewes Road then? Although there are some loading bays these are somewhat clogged up with communal rubbish/recycling bins. If this red route goes ahead and the loading bays are needed where will the bins go?
Put the bins back in the side streets they are there to service.
Half the issues come from the fact the various councils over the last couple of decades have made Lewes and London road narrower an narrower, and then chucked a load of junk on the pavements like communal bins and under used bike racks and benches, so may as well not bothered.
No point removing all the parking on a road and then having very few loading bays, with no cameras on.
Dont forget this was put in by the greens ( not green). Give them back sensible loading bays. With all the vegans around they will have more to complain about seeing carcases being carried around & its not good on the hygiene side of it either. This is a well used butchers that sell good stuff & give good advise on how to keep & prepare there products. Alot of people that food shop in london road use this butchers, so will they have to turn to using supermarket vacuum packed meat thats full of gasses, water & chemicals so its preserved for longer because they cant sell it quick enough. We need these small shops to stay not be pushed out. Theres enough shops closed down there already. Grahams shop has been in his family for a long time, i can remember when his brother gary had it before. Its part of the london road community.