RE: Marlow Parking problems in residential roads.

YOUR anonymous correspondent (Letters – Free Press January 13) states that, since the residential roads in question are part of the public highway, ‘anyone is entitled to park there, subject to any marked Parking restrictions’.

That statement confirms the impression that people will choose to park where it is cheapest and most convenient, even when they plan to park all day, regardless of the number of public car park spaces available.

It also supports my case that the provision of additional off-street car parking will only solve the Marlow’s parking problems if it is accompanied by parking restrictions.

As your correspondent says, residents of Harwood Road and Westwood Road have their own garages and drives to park on, but the inability of one’s own vehicle, or those of family friends, to park, although frustrating, is not the only problem in these and many other streets in the town.

There is also the inability of delivery and emergency vehicles to gain access, and hazards are caused at dangerous junctions when such vehicles have no option but to park illegally, since available spaces are taken up by day long parking. Of course, in roads where residents do not have their own garages or driveways, the problems are even worse.

In the case of parking by Borlase’s School pupils, the particular matter of concern to your correspondent, there is another issue. Although it is clear that these pupils are not breaking the law, the school’s own instruction states that “Students should not park in Harwood Road or Westwood Road. Parking will be available at the Marlow Sports Club”.

In March 2011, the Headmaster asked, through the Free Press, for the assistance of residents in reporting the registration numbers of vehicles parked in these roads that had been driven by pupils at the school.

This instruction has been disregarded by many of the pupils to whom they apply. Allowing pupils to ignore the school’s own request is also poor training for entry to the world of work. Many organisations have directives that go beyond the law of the land, and are unlikely to be tolerant of employees, former Borlase pupils or not, who choose to ignore them.

Derek Done, Harwood Road, Marlow