Hamilton Man hits out at ‘greedy’ council in parking row

Aug 21 2008 by John Rowbotham, Hamilton Advertiser

A MAN living next to one of Hamilton’s worst “bottlenecks” has called on council bosses to ease parking restrictions in the town.

Bill Ross said that congestion problems in Dixon Street were causing a major headache.

Parked cars regularly line both sides of the road and traffic in both directions, between St John’s Primary School and the junction with Bent Road, is often at a standstill.

Residents parking there risk having their cars scraped or wing mirrors knocked off, he added.

Mr Ross said the continuing work to upgrade Hamilton Grammar, in nearby Auchincampbell Road, had exacerbated the parking problems.

Building workers carrying out the modernisation were leaving their cars parked in Dixon Street all day.

Teachers unable to park at the school because of the work were also parking in Dixon Street alongside the cars of people who commute from Hamilton Central railway station.

Mr Ross (62), who has lived in Dixon Street for 30 years, said: “We just cannot get parked. Traffic is four abreast and the street was not built for so many cars. Hardly a day goes by without someone’s car being bumped or scraped.

“Last school term, a passing vehicle scraped my son’s car and knocked its wing mirror off.”

He called on South Lanarkshire Council to lift the restrictions on parking in Kemp Street.

“The council, because of greed, put parking meters in Kemp Street even though it is only two-thirds residential.

“People don’t park there as they have to pay and the street is usually lying empty.

“Surely, during the refurbishment at the Grammar, teachers and workers should be given free parking in Kemp Street until the work is finished.”

A spokesman for the council said they were aware of the “historic” parking problems in Dixon Street and had investigated the possibility of introducing restrictions, but surveys had shown that the majority of the vehicles parking in the area belonged to residents or their visitors.

He added, however: “At this time, the adjacent school is being refurbished and the parking problem has been made worse by teachers and workmen parking on the street.

“Parking provision has been made for the teachers within the Bent sports ground to the rear of the school.

“The police have the powers to deal with any inappropriately-parked vehicle which obstructs the free flow of traffic on Dixon Street or obstructs driveways.

“We will continue to monitor the parking problems in this area through discussions with the school in order to minimise the disruption to local residents.

“The parking problems will be resolved when work is completed on the school.”