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Drivers fed up with damage to cars parked near centre
I am writing regarding the article in last week’s Advertiser, ‘Don’t use our street as a car parking lot’.
I am a member of a well-known organisation who hire Bothwell Community Hall once-a-week between 7.30pm and 10pm at the latest (usually finishing at 9.30pm). Eight of the 11 damaged cars mentioned in the article belong to my organisation.
As an organisation, we service the community and have been hiring the hall for some years now and no-one has ever approached us to complain.
If they did I, as a senior member or the organisation, would have made sure that we assisted in keeping the area in question clear, thus avoiding conflict which, in essence, has resulted in where we are today.
Over the past few months I have been in communication with the local councillor and the Parking Department manager in Hamilton regarding this damage to the vehicles. The repair cost to one of our vehicles amounted to £1000.
The parking manager’s reply to my request for clarification was, and I quote, that “the sign erected on the post to the entrance to Waverley Court was unlawful and would be removed.”
This has since been carried out. It was also stated “this is a public road within which any vehicle, correctly parked, is entitled to do so.”
Local councillors attend a meeting which takes place on the first Tuesday of every month. Where, I ask, do they park their cars?
On a suggestion to the parking manager to utilise the grass areas in front and back of the hall, I was informed, and I quote once again, “while it is desirable to have excess parking capacity, I could not justify the costs associated with the provision of additional parking at this location, given the other demands on our budget.”
Since my first communication with the councillor, our organisation have been patrolling the area during our visit.
On Tuesday, March 18, one of the members and I witnessed a resident (who must at this stage remain nameless) carry out malicious damage to a car.
This has since been reported to the police and further investigations are being carried out.
Hopefully this resident will be dealt with by the authorities and made to pay compensation to those who have had to pay through their car insurance to rectify the damage.
President of an unhappy organisation.
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