Serious injury concerns over van parking in Bournemouth

Several vans, lorries and cars are frequently parked in the pedestrianised part of Old Christchurch Road, Bournemouth, while two building projects are carried out. 

Currently, there is the conversion of the former House of Fraser building into student flats and the opening of a new Greggs opposite – both projects reducing the pathway due to fencing. 

Town centre resident David Weston said he would “hate to see anybody getting injured” as a result of mismanagement of parked vehicles ‘getting in the way’. 

Workmen are parking their vans while construction jobs are done (Image: Daily Echo)

He said: “It’s a difficult one for the council because there are two big construction projects opposite each other, but when there was similar building work at the old Monsoon and Next there was a yellow sign warning people. 

“The extra vehicles need to be considered here because sometimes you can walk down the stretch and there’s nothing, but just last week there were about six or seven vehicles parked there. 

“There were security vans, private cars, even two or three parked abreast and at the moment, I have only seen light work, soon there could be cement mixers on the road.” 

It goes without saying that Bournemouth gets very busy when the temperature rises as flocks of tourists visit the beach. On a hot summer holiday weekend, as many as 400,000 people can come here. 

And Mr Weston is concerned that with the extra amount of people walking through the town centre, somebody could get injured. 

Andy Hadley (centre)

Scaffolding is also in the path (Image: Daily Echo)

“Right now there are so many tourists here and kids running around outside McDonald’s, I can see somebody getting injured,” he added. 

“The council needs to be more proactive – if something was to drop from six floors of scaffolding at the House of Fraser building, whether it be a hammer of even a can of coke, it could really injure or kill somebody.” 

Andy Hadley, cabinet member for the environment, said contractors working on buildings in Old Christchurch Road essentially must buy a pass to park there, with each one “carefully considered”. 

He said: “Civil enforcement officers patrol this area regularly and will issue a penalty charge notice to any vehicle without a dispensation.  

“Contractors must purchase a dispensation from parking administration. Each request is carefully considered due to high pedestrian traffic and contractors usually arrive early in the morning, avoiding peak times, and remain parked because their vehicles contain essential tools.  

“Whilst we are keen to maintain a pedestrian friendly environment, it’s important to balance the need for support workers to maintain and improve properties and space. 

“Parking administration will not authorise too many vehicles at once to ensure risk to the public is mitigated.”