Community death blow
I have often heard Paget Road referred to as a rat run by council officials and people who drive through it. In fact, Paget Road is a delicately balanced urban community. Since the building of the brash new St Jude's primary school, that balance has been put in jeopardy.
At the very earliest stages council officials were warned that traffic and parking would be a problem. Mr Rawlinson gave assurances that on-site parking would be available for parents. In the event the planners wouldn't allow it.
Now proposals have emerged which narrow Paget Road and Clark Road either side of the school. Paget Road residents stand to lose a number of on-street parking spaces.
The council has wooed the self-appointed neighbourhood watch co-ordinators by inviting them to meetings to discuss these proposals.
Our legally elected representatives, the local councillors, did not know that a plan was being drawn up and received their copies ten days after the residents.
In the proposals, two of the neighbourhood watch co-ordinators might gain the convenience of on-street parking outside their houses.
The third will retain on-street parking outside his.
The majority of those residents who will lose parking outside their houses are elderly, disabled and those from ethnic minorities.
Some people's houses will go up in value, others will go down because of the lack of convenient parking.
The road narrowings will cause worse congestion at peak times and the chicanes will be a gift to aggressive drivers at off peak times.
The current system whereby the on-street parking slows the traffic down and forces motorists to drive slowly is the best solution available.
The present head teacher believes that if you block the road the traffic will go elsewhere, however there are no plans to re-route the traffic and highways has always maintained that Paget Road should be kept open for emergency vehicles.
Before the council decided to build this intrusive new school they had a battery of experts at their disposal and at our expense, yet after claiming the school would not affect traffic and parking they are trying to introduce by stealth a scheme which will deliver the death blow to an urban community.
Edith Stone, Paget Road, Wolverhampton.
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