SHOPKEEPERS in Barnards Green and the highway authority have reached a compromise over plans to scrap roadside parking places to make way for a bus stop.
Business owners were up in arms when Worcestershire County Council announced a proposal to eliminate seven parking spaces on Court Road to accommodate the bus stop.
They feared the loss of parking would hit their trade during an already-difficult economic situation.
A petition opposing the plan gathered 1,400 signatures from customers in three weeks.
This week, the county council announced following consultation with the public a solution had been agreed.
Jon Fraser, the council’s customer and community manager, said: “We have been working with local residents via their local district councillor (Roy Harding) to agree a solution for the Barnard’s Green bus stop.
“A new bus stop location has been identified just beyond the far end of the parking bay which will alleviate the problems between parked vehicles and passengers getting on and getting off buses.
“To further improve safety for road users, the existing parking bay will be extended as far as possible and the echelon parking replaced by parallel parking.
“This removes the instances of vehicles reversing out of the parking bay and into oncoming traffic off the roundabout.”
David Stephens, who owns the post office right by the disputed parking spaces, said: “It’s good that a compromise has been reached. I’ve been told by the county council there will be six spaces, so we’ve only lost one, and they will be restricted to threequarters of an hour. That will help us by allowing more people to park.”
Yesterday the council could not confirm the number of spaces or the imposition of a waiting limit.
Jane Knowles, of the Barnards Green Traders Association, said: “We’re all feeling positive about it. We feel that local opinion and local democracy has really worked. Common sense has prevailed.”
County councillor Steve Brown, who backed the initial proposal, was unavailable for comment.
Work is expected to take place early in the new year.
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