**FOR THE RECORD**
*My
issue is NOT with the people parking (per se) but with Fareham Borough
Council for allowing it to continue day, after day, after day. I would
like to know what they have though because I'd like some of it in case I
ever need to park illegally and want to get away with it!*
My issues with the parkers wasn't personal until Monday 1st July 2024
when a driver from Whody's food place (they have many different food
companies working from the building but only that one has it's name up so I am to assume he is working for them)
deliberately moved his car to block mine in just as he knew I was about
to go home for the evening - Click Here for my views on that! I
found out on 3rd July that a local candidate for our elective ward who
had visited my shop on Tuesday 2nd to purchase a plant, and chat about
the election happening on Thursday 4th July, was verbally warned to
"watch herself" after she was seen taking a photo of the illegally
parked van. One of the men on the building site had followed looking for
her, before seeing she was inside my shop! As a woman working alone,
surrounded by people willing to threaten another woman it now all feels
as if things have got a little bit personal!
**UPDATE 29th July 2024**
Having been told by a local resident how she was threatened for taking a photograph of a van that parks in FPR daily, and having no luck with anyone in regards to the parking issues I have deleted the spreadsheet I was keeping of the illegally parked vehicles. The van got ticketed on Friday but is back there again this morning; this suggests to me there is far more going on with our local councils and I am not prepared to put myself at further risk when nobody is bothered, or there to back me up.
**Update 30th April 2024**
So much for them not parking outside the shops in FPR. EVERY day for weeks/months this van, and others, has been. So much for them not being allowed to work on-site before 8am. They arrived at 7am and are working. There's a local election in two days time. If you vote to keep the current bunch in on your head be it, because believe me, it won't be long until it starts to affect you as well. Don't say you weren't warned.
**Update 26th March 2024**
Despite repeatedly reporting them for breaching the conditions regarding not parking outside the shop - EVERY DAY - this morning one worker has just asked my driver to move off OUR forecourt, so he could get accross to then park illegally in the road, on double-yellows, where two of their vehicles were ticketed the other week (first time this year we've seen a traffic enforcer) yet just the very NEXT day they were all back there, have been ever since and yet not a single enforcer to be seen! Funny that!
**Update 13th Dec 23**
Just went to report all the works vehicles parking outside the shop and up FPR because I've still NOT heard anything from my last email; I thought I'd get the planning approval up so I could quote the section that stated no works vehicles to park in FPR and oddly I cannot find it anywhere! Not a single section mentioning parking. There have been several other amendments to the original plans that have been approved but the parking seems to have mysteriously vanished! I'm no conspiracy theorist but that could explain why they've not bothered to respond to my previous emails and why the vehicles are all still parked out there!
**Update 3rd November 23**
Having contacted the council with regards to a truck parking on the double yellows all day, and a car for one of the workers parking directly outside the shops all day - both of which contravene the conditions set when the plans were allowed to go ahead - consistently for the past 8 weeks, nothing has changed. It's been 2 weeks and still they are parking there as-and-when they choose. I don't like to use the words "Corrupt" or accuse anyone of taking a "Back Hander" but surely, surely, somebody, somewhere is getting something from it all.
*Update 7th June 23**
Since an issue arose this morning I have removed the link for the parking spreadsheet further down the page.
I also discovered that the very same council who have told us they "Cannot afford to send traffic enforcers" up our road - less than 100 metres away from the other shops which they visit often - they were able to find the money to keep sending one to some other local shops (over a mile away) where they ticketed an 80 year old lady for being within 6 inches of a drop curb. You literally could not make it up!
** Update 16th May 23**
It's now got to the stage that I have to arrive by 7am to ensure I will be able to park; I don't need to bring my car, I can easily walk from where I live, however, if I don't my driver has to risk parking over the Highlands, carrying up to 6ft coffin sprays; navigating from the shop to his car is tough enough with one that size; getting over the road would be ridiculous, plus, it's never just one order. Most days he loads up at least half-a-dozen at a time. My driving means when he is unable to park - most days - to collect flowers for delivery, at least I can move, giving him the space to get outside the shop to load up. That is not how it should be.
**Update Wednesday 8th Feb**
They've (the council) excelled in their complete ignorance. A residential property whose owners have complained about their driveway entrance being constantly blocked have been told by FBC to "widen their driveway". To then add insult to injury they've told them they can then pay HCC over £100 and they'll paint a single white line across the drive for them to them to stop the cars parking there. The cars IGNORE the Double Yellows - as the council well know because they've been told almost daily, yet they seem to think they won't ignore a single white line. They literally haven't got a clue.
Also, as far as I am aware, nothing
was ever done about the driver for the Takeaway, who pulled a knife on
the lady in the flats opposite when she asked him to move his car so she
could get out to go and pick her little one up from school. It's such a shame that not a single camera (other than ours which didn't pick up enough) on the other buildings (all have at least one) was working on that particular day. Thankfully, for their business sakes, they managed to get them fixed in time for the following day; I know they were repaired because I overheard one of the
workers telling someone he was chatting to that he'd "better get on, as my boss
can see me through the camera!".
**There's a further update to this entry at the end**
Before I begin, I can't but help wonder if the reason I find myself writing this, having already written about issues with the council before, might be because I am a woman and therefore not deemed worthy enough of paying any attention to!
*A year after writing the above sentence about my being a woman I found this! There really may be something to it!*
Following on my from original entry regarding Fareham Borough Council (which can be found by clicking this link...
https://www.fareham.info/2021/11/fareham-borough-council.html) and the assurances we (small business owners and local residents) had been given that were not worth the paper they were written on, and having received an email regarding yet more plans (there have been several submitted before all of which were for additional properties) for the Old Post Office on the corner of Highlands Road and Fareham Park Road, I thought I would share my objection, along with a spreadsheet I have kept the past 6 months (and which I will continue to add to) which shows just how little the council are concerned about our area, and how right I, and my neighbours - both business and home owners - have been every single time we've objected to plans on the grounds of parking/traffic issues, which we are (as we have continually been told) according to the council "
not an issue". I think my spreadsheet may go someway to proving that wrong. Sadly it doesn't cover from the bus stop down to Highlands Road, which is why I have consistently told them to ask the bus companies for their dash cam footage, because for every vehicle I have images captured for, there are often 2 or 3 (I've seen up to 5) parked down behind it. The newest plans will see the flats (8 of them) exiting into Fareham Park Road exactly where all these additional vehicles currently park. Admittedly some may only be there for 20 minutes (some are often there all day) but when that one vehicle leaves another pretty soon replaces it.
Link for spreadsheet... ... **Update** I was "advised" to remove the link for this spreadsheet but I don't bow down to bullies. I did give up taking notes though when nobody is bothered. - this has now been removed - please see 7th June update.
Now, before anyone jumps at me, or stirs up any dogs doo dah, I have NO objection to any new builds going up - goodness knows we need the housing - but I do object to how dangerous Fareham Park Road has become, how nobody is doing anything to make it any safer, and with the traffic issues caused by the council allowing plans to go through and change whenever they feel like it (even after they have given written assurances) without any thought or concern for the businesses and residents who work/live here. I am genuinely amazed that nobody has been hurt, injured (or worse) because at some point every day it is complete carnage outside the shop with cars and vans everywhere, forcing pedestrians to have to walk into the road to get around them. It is sheer luck I believe there hasn't been a big accident.
We also have a massive rat issue within the immediate vacinity. I can no longer leave the backdoor open or in they will scurry; they run up-and-down the passageway which runs behind all our shops; up and over the fences, or through into my neighbour behinds garden (where often his cat will see they don't come back). Their population in the past few years has increased exponentially, and with each new build they allow, so more seem to follow (there has been work on one of our residential neighbours recently and that has added a few more to the mix). Allowing yet another property to be torn down, and even more digging will push them all further along and we've enough problems keeping them down as it is - I can only imagine what it must be like for the takeaways either end because we have no food they can forage on and are blighted by them; they both have food and food storage in their premises.
Maybe by sharing they will finally start to take notice and do something about it (yes, I know, I'm delusional!). Maybe it will become a little easier/safer for the lady with the walking frame to get down to the crossing on Highlands Road without her having to walk in the road. Maybe it will be easier for the parents and kids in buggies not to have to dodge the idiots with their blown exhausts who hurtle up-and-down the road. Maybe, just maybe, those dog walkers who have to ensure their dogs don't end up under the wheel of a car will be able to enjoy exercising their furbabies again. Maybe nothing will change - the most likely scenario; the building works will start later, the road will become more dangerous and the rats will have a field day.
It could be your Mum, your Dad, your brother, sister, cousin, friend; even you. Wouldn't it be nice to know you could drive down Fareham Park Road without having to do so on the wrong-side-of-the-road where you run the risk of being hit by the driver flying into the road from Highlands? You would think with the road being a main school run route - for those going to Henry Cort and the little ones making their way to Orchard Lea, that the council will show a little more interest in keeping everyone safe. I guess all they see are the pound signs from the additional council tax revenue; if the properties are to be filled with tax paying residents that is!
Anyway, whilst I can still share (you never know I could end up just disappearing one day or be found wandering a forest with amnesia because I've finally upset the wrong person with my complaining!) here's some pretty flowers that you might be able to buy if you could make it anywhere near my shop to visit!
In the middle of writing this I received an email from the planning department at FBC to tell me the plans are going before the committee on Weds 18th Jan; I'm allowed to attend if I would like but at 2.30 in the afternoon that's not going to be possible. The link to view these documents is below...
"You recently commented on the above planning application. I am writing to let you know this
application will now be considered by members of the Planning Committee at the next
meeting on:
Wednesday 18th January 2023 in the Collingwood Room, Civic Offices, Civic Way, Fareham,
PO16 7AZ at 2.30pm.
I have prepared a written report for the committee setting out the relevant planning issues.
This report will be included in the meeting agenda which is available to view on the Council's
website at http://moderngov.fareham.gov.uk/ a week before the meeting takes place."
Below are my 2 objections; the first when a different set of plans were submitted, the 2nd the one when the new plans for which the decision will be made on 18th Jan.
1) https://tinyurl.com/y4734vfj
2) https://tinyurl.com/26emuhe3 I can assure you the letter was not sent looking how it has been reproduced on their website - which frankly makes me look like I haven't a clue - I guess this will mean they'll believe they don't need to take it seriously! I have copied/pasted how it was submitted to them below. As you can see it's completely different to how they have printed it on their site! 😡
This is why I have an objection; 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐈 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 and why I will continue to object until the council finally do something about the parking issues in Fareham Park Road.
**I have reinstated the Parking Infraction Spreadsheet - you can find it by Clicking Here.
The council think it's ok to add even more vehicles to over saturated area whilst continually telling residents and business owners there isn't a parking issue! It's a pretty safe bet it would never be allowed to happen on their doorsteps!
As I have suggested multiple times before when I've lodged an objection 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, it might also be an idea to 𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐝𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐜𝐚𝐦 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 so you can see how bad it is further down the road, 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞!
Digging and building in the area always causes the rat infestation, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬, to increase even further as well.
**Update**
At 16.59 on Wednesday 18th January I recieved an update on the latest plans for the flats - this was after I'd had to negotiate 4 cars parked on the double yellow lines to the end of FPR at the junction of Highlands Road (right outside the entrance to these flats) where I witnessed a car nearly get wiped out by a truck flying into FPR.
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