02 September 2023 , 13:38
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Residents in a Hull town have kicked off over 'eyesore' bollards that are supposed to help keep them safe.
The aim of the wooden bollards was to 'protect pedestrians'. However, they are more of a hindrance to locals, as the recent installations are preventing them from parking cars outside their houses in Willerby.
East Riding of Yorkshire Council installed the wooden bollards to 'ensure the safety of pedestrians', following complaints from the parents of children at a nearby school who said that motorists were driving along the footpath on Abbey Grove.
The council claims that residents were informed in advance that the bollards were due to be put in place, and were 'offered the chance to pay to have vehicle access installed to their homes'.
But the local occupants resisted the bollards, as they claimed that there had never been an issue with the pavement being blocked by parked vehicles.
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Residents have said that the wooden bollards are an 'eyesore' (Katie Pugh)They hit out at the council's actions, calling the bollards an 'unnecessary eyesore' and a 'waste of money'. They said that the council hadn't 'thought out' the plan of adding the bollards, which they claim will now be lowering house prices.
One local, Karl Elbeck, 47, told HullLive: "These bollards are a complete and utter disgrace. There hasn't been an accident down here since the 1970s so why are the bollards necessary? I have a disabled father-in-law and now we can't park the car next to the house for him to get out.
"In winter, this grass verge is an ice rink, so how on earth is he supposed to get down it safely? The same goes for delivery drivers. What am I meant to do about it if I can't afford to spend thousands having a driveway put in?
"This is such a pretty area, but these bollards are an absolute eyesore. We can kiss bye-bye to our house prices now. All of the work is half-arsed as well, you can see the tarmac coming away. The stopcock outside my house has suddenly started overflowing since the bollards were put in, too."
Several residents have complained about the wooden installments (Katie Pugh)Another resident, Jim Dennett, 74, said: "It's a disgrace, they put them in yesterday to stop people parking outside their own homes. The council seem to get these ideas into their heads but I just don't think this has been thought through."
Another resident, who would prefer to remain anonymous, said: "It's ridiculous, how are we expected to sell our houses now with all these horrible posts here? The work seems very poor too, as a lot of the tarmac is crumbling away.
"It seems to me like the complete wrong investment - residents would have been far happier if they'd dug out more of the verge and given everyone a driveway to park their car. If they end up putting double yellows on Well Lane, where will any of us park?"
A spokesman for East Riding of Yorkshire Council explained the apparent need for the bollards as they said: “Following complaints we received from parents taking children to the school on Well Lane, Willerby, that people were driving along the footpath between Ashgate Road and Bellfield Drive, the council has installed wooden bollards in the path to ensure the safety of pedestrians.
“Local residents were informed of the move by letter in advance and, as they are private houses, they were offered the chance to pay to have vehicle access installed to their homes to help them park their cars. Several residents took up the offer.
“At the same time, the council carried out some path improvements to the path, grassed verge repairs and installed some drainage to improve the path surface. The work was inspected this week, was carried out to a high standard and has improved the path considerably.”
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