----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, December 23, 2007 4:54 PM
Subject: traffic and parking in Lymden Gardens, Reigate
Dear Mrs Trevelyan,
Lymden Gardens,
Woodlands, Reigate
I understand that you are the officer at S. C. C.
dealing with expressions of concern about parking and the speed at
which some vehicles travel.
The Woodlands residents have been
informed that the Chairman of the management committee has offered
some thoughts on improvements. These include the possibility of permit only
parking, a reduced speed limit, road calming measures and/or the introduction of
a one way system.
The message we have received is, unfortunately,
that the Council would wait for reports of incidents or accidents before
taking action.
By writing to you, please may I bring to your
attention that there are some additional contributing factors that you may not
have been aware of? Perhaps they could also be considered by the County
Council in deciding whether no action is justified, or whether, on reflection,
action could now be taken after all.
1.
Firstly, because of the high banks to the
south and west of the road, for much of the year there is very little sunlight
on the road and footpaths. Any ice, snow, frost and rain takes much longer to
clear than on most road surfaces. On a daily basis over many years I have seen
growing numbers of drivers using the route as a quick shortcut. Yet, by some
drivers not having realized the increased likelihood of black
ice, on a long bend in the road and with lowered visibility, it is a fairly
common occurance in the winter, that drivers have braked, skidded or caused
others to skid even at very low speeds, in order to avoid an
accident.
2.
Now that there is so much parking on both sides of the road, a collision
with a pedestrian or a stationary vehicle is even more likely. It
could so easily be the long lines of parked cars that could be skidded into
and damaged:-
3.
Many of the parked cars along both sides of this
Lymden Gardens from 9 - 5 each weekday are local office workers.
This includes Surrey County Council personnel who do not have
sufficient allocated parking spaces at the Omnibus Building in Lesbourne Road.
Visitors have little choice but to park in local residential
streets such as Lymden Gardens, and then walk to it. Perhaps now that there is
such a high density of new buildings and residential properties in the immediate
vicinity, this additional parking load on local streets needs to be reconsidered
and actively managed a bit better now.
4.
Local residents and the office workers themselves are being put
at risk of a collision Please note that many of the local residents are
elderly whereas some of the families have small
children. Residents had selected this particular area to live because
it is in walking distance of the town, the park and the schools.
Do
we need to wait for a collision caused by these additional hazards - poor
traction on the road surface, poor vision on the continuous bends on the road
and even unwittingly by council employees whose
vehicles monopolise both sides of the roads all day long?
I am sincerely hoping that the Council will no longer feel the need to
wait for something to happen before action is justified.
Please would you look again at the positive and thoughtful suggestions made
by the Chairman,
and please also confirm receipt of this
message.
Hoping you would be able to help,
Yours sincerely,
Grace Filby (Ms)
01737 217013