Conservative County Councillor Gordon Wheeler, of West Bridgford West, today delivered a compelling case at the Full Council Meeting for urgent improvements to the roads and parking provisions, around the new care home off Boxely Drive in Compton Acres. Councillor Wheeler has been meeting residents to discuss their concerns, and is supporting petition to show the strength of the local feeling on the issues. You can read the speech in full below.>

Chairman, thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak about an issue which has caused considerable disquiet in my Division of West Bridgford West.

The Grand Care Centre is a newly opened care home. It has the residential capacity to accommodate 82 people. The 82 en-suite bedrooms are fully serviced by medical professionals and the requisite support services personnel, including cleaners and catering staff.

The Grand Care Centre is located at the Boxley Drive, Walcote Drive and Greythorn Drive junctions which runs parallel to Loughborough Road (opposite the Wilford Hill cemetery). For those familiar with the area it is on the site of what used to be the South Notts. Hussars public house.

This large care centre has been built in the middle of a residential area. The facility is a welcome new health service in our borough. 

However the problem is that there are only 22 car parking spaces within The Grand Care Centre compound. 22 car parking spaces for staff who work on a 24 hour shift basis who are 'encouraged' by management to park on the surrounding roads as parking spaces in the compound are prioritised for visitors. Therefore as the car park is so woefully small for such a large facility both staff and visitors have to park on the surrounding residential roads. 

Contractors, service personnel, staff and visitors now park on Walcote Drive and Greythorn Drive. But not only are they now parking in the roads they are parking on the pavements, close to junctions and in some cases near to people’s drives. It has become utter chaos and highly distressing for many in the community.  This situation will only get worse as The Grand is still not at full capacity. Something has to be done, and soon, to offer sensible solutions for everyone affected by this avoidable congestion. 

Because the Grand is where Greythorn Drive, Boxley Drive and Walcote Drive converge, and is a filter onto Loughborough Road and residential traffic is heavy. 

All of these residential roads are narrow and where they meet, the road narrows even further. We have had many examples of buses (which travel down Greythorn Drive) unable to pass on-coming traffic due to parked cars reducing the width of the road. 

Delivery vehicles have driven onto grass verges reducing them to what might resemble an area of ploughed field. Fire Engines and Ambulances cannot pass and stand-offs between drivers of vehicles has become a regular occurrence. 

I do fear for the safety of children who walk along here on their way to local Schools. Passengers alighting from buses are also at risk as are cyclists trying to manoeuvre around parked cars whilst facing on-coming traffic. 

Serious motoring accidents, which thus far have been avoided more by luck than judgement, also give great cause for concern. Cars have already been damaged due to the need to reverse when confronted with on-coming traffic who’s drivers are unable or unwilling to give way. Confrontations between drivers are a daily occurrence. A majority of female members in the community who once drove in the area’s aforementioned now avoid driving that way and have deliberately taken less direct detours. This is unacceptable.  

There are other parking options which need to be explored. Europa Way which has no residential properties, is but a few minutes walk away as is Stanholme Square where there are parking facilities. But unless there are parking restrictions (double yellow lines with signage) on the pinch points on the residential roads I have mentioned, motorists will continue to park as close to The Grand as possible for convenience for themselves.

The heavy contract traffic during the building of the Grand and the increased traffic since, has broken up the road surface at the top of Walcote Drive. It is now in a dangerous condition. A complete resurfacing, where the residential roads meet, is an urgent requirement. If funds for this are not immediately available it should be included as a priority item in the financial year 2017 – 2018 and I’d like support from members to ensure this is a bid which will be taken seriously.

Chairman a petition is doing the rounds within the community and I shall present this at the September Full Council. But I would urge Officers not to wait until then. I have repeatedly made offers to Officers to meet with me and representatives of the local community. They have declined to do so. I know they are busy people, but I urge support and an urgent rethink for the benefit of that community.