Road Safety

Does anyone know if there is still a speed limit on Dibb Road, Hesketh Bank? When I first started walking down there nearly 30years ago there was a 5MPH sign which has since long gone.

The traffic now speed along this road with no attempt to slow down or acknowledge the fact that you have got as far off the road as you can to let them pass. There is a ditch along the side with gutters cut into the verge to drain the water off the road but as it is overgrown you can not always see where these are and can easily trip. If this happens when one of the big tractors is speeding past - which they do, with no attempt to slow down - there could be a nasty accident.

When it is wet you get covered in spray off the road and when dry you get lost in a cloud of dust. Not everyone drives like this or all the farmers, it would seem to me to be people that have only recently - say in the last couple of years - started using this road and think it is on a parr with Shore Road.

Margaret Price. 16th November 2009

Shore Road Repairs

Dear Sir,
Many residents will have noticed the fenced off hole in the road near the junction of Chapel Road and Shore Road in Hesketh Bank and several residents have reported this to me. I would like to make the situation clear because this situation has existed since before Christmas. I drove past today and the hole has still not been repaired.

This roadworks has caused my self and the officers at County Hall a great deal of concern. Within 30mins of the problem being reported I had placed a cone on the hole and staff from LCC had arrived within the hour and fenced it off. On examination it was discovered that the subsidence which caused the hole was caused by a leaking sewer pipe belonging to United Utilities. They promised to repair it but despite many phone calls from County Hall  have failed to do so. I had assumed that they had repaired it but was alerted some three weeks ago by a resident that they had not done so, I  reported UU to the consumer council for water and also contacted UU and on the 3rd April was assured by UU that the work would commence the following Mon.I am appalled that they have not done so. I will contact both UU and the regulator on Tues and put in a further complaint.

I should not have been surprised by this incident because I am at present pursuing another complaint about UU on behalf of a resident that has been ongoing for at least 7months and have had to report UU to the regulator at least 3 times in the past.

Yours Sincerely,
County Councillor Malcolm Barron. 13th April 2009

Potholes

Dear Sir

In response to the letter from Mr Flomer  I feel I must express my sympathy, I have on many occasions had to report potholes in my area. The state of the roads in the Northern Parishes is appalling due to the lack of funds available. I have spoken many times at full council and committee about this with some degree of success. Regarding the particular incident that Mr Flomer refers to, I remember reporting an almost square hole opposite Websters around that time. This had possibly been caused by work done by a utility company which had subsided.

I would advise any one who has suffered damage to their vehicles to contact me as soon as possible and I will check out the hole, I have been able to obtain compensation in the past. and if Mr Flomer wants to speak to me my phone number is 01772  811302.

County Councillor Malcolm Barron, 19th February 2009

CHURCH ROAD POT HOLE

One Friday evening in October I was driving down Church Road in Tarleton when my wheel went into a pothole in the road opposite Websters. The wheel was damaged and I ended up paying over £500 to get the car recovered and the wheel fixed. I wrote to the council to ask if they could reimburse me or at least offer some compensation, and they have told me that because the road is inspected four times a year (and that this is considered to be adequate), and was inspected in July 2008 and found to have no defects, they deny liability under the Highways Act.

I took photos of the pothole as soon as I could (the Sunday following my accident) and can produce these, but I've been told that because I didn't take the photos at the time of the accident this is not enough proof that the hole was there on the Friday! How I am supposed to take pictures in the middle of the road on a dark Friday night and then get them immediately to the council I'm not quite sure. I have been told that if anyone else saw the pothole at the time and had damage to their vehicle then this could be put forward as extra evidence and this might make a difference to my case. Did anyone else have any problems?

J Flomer, 17th February 2009

COE LANE MINI ROUNDABOUT

Dear Sir,
I feel I have to write to say how dangerous the mini roundabout at Coe Lane is becoming.

This weekend we have lost a dearly beloved pet who was killed on the roundabout. However, although this has upset us greatly we have been worried about traffic here for some time now.

Living on the estate adjacent to the roundabout, one sees day in day out the potential dangers. Indeed I have myself and others witnessed cars screeching to a halt with near misses being an everyday thing. I have also witnessed minor accidents at the roundabout. Because of the ongoing "flooding"which makes the roundabout particularly hazardous, especially in bad weather, the road markings have faded.

I believe that soon there will be a serious accident here, if we do not do something about this. Do other readers agree with me? What can be done?

Regards,
Marie Taylor, 21st December 2008

Road Signs ? Where are they?

I noticed a beautiful new sign this evening on the way home from Southport stating " West Lancashire has Everything"

I would agree if I saw 20 mph Road Signs in Tarleton especially near to schools and Road Signs requesting that drivers take care when entering Tarleton.
Can someone please tell me why most neighbouring villages display such Signs when there are none in Tarleton?

I note that an earlier Posting ( July 2007 ) stated that a Crossing was requested by several District Councillor as far back as 2003. What progress has been made please on this matter?

Joyce Rydings, 17th April 2008

Hiding their bus under a bushel - New Bus Service to Ormskirk
I passed a 202 Stagecoach bus on Hesketh Lane destined for Ormskirk. I understand that it will connect with trains at Burscough Bridge. But where is the attendant publicity campaign advising the residents of Tarleton and Hesketh Bank?
Regards,
Bob Robinson, 26th February 2008

One camera really is not sufficient. Most speeders do so between Moss Lane and the secondary school where speeding drivers, surprise, surprise, slow down to under 30.

I am a driver myself and, much to the annoyance of some drivers behind me, do keep to the speed limit.

Something really needs to be done.
Joan Clark, 5th February 2008

The State of the Moss Roads

Dear Sir,
We write to draw your attention to the state of the roads in the villages of North Meols (Banks), Hesketh with Becconsall and Tarleton – collectively known within West Lancashire as the Northern Parishes. The Parish Councils of these three villages have forwarded a motion to the Lancashire Association of Parish and Town Councils (LAPTC) urging Lancashire County Council to review its maintenance schedules regarding the condition of the Moss Roads in these three respective parishes. They are used by multi axle, maximum weight, articulated vehicles servicing the growers of the area and are in a desperate state of repair.

These Moss roads are collapsing partly as a result of climate changes. We had a very dry summer in 2006 which caused the mosses to shrink and fissure. This was followed by an extremely wet summer this year causing flooding. The HGV’s and very large tractors now using these roads has resulted in them being undermined causing them to break up.

Because of Government involvement in telling Lancashire County Council where to spend its Council Tax revenue, very little has been spent on these roads.

However, it is not only the Moss roads that are suffering as many of the other roads in the three parishes are in a bad state of repair due to long term neglect. Apart from the A565 and the A59 all other roads are unclassified or “C” class roads. This is because they are not through roads. The roads, originally made for horse and carts with very little traffic on them, have largely been ignored for upgrading and maintenance over the years.

However a vibrant, and vital, agricultural industry exists in this area that now requires HGV’s and large tractors to access it. Had a road, known locally as the Green Lane Link been built, which was presented to the County Council for approval in 1999, then this situation would not have arisen.

We appeal to Lancashire County Council to press our Government to allow them to use more of Lancashire’s tax revenue to be spent on Lancashire’s roads on the Northern Parishes.

Also, perhaps the Government could be persuaded to loosen its purse strings and release some of the revenue it gains from road tax and fuel duty and actually use it in the manner for which it was intended.

Signed,
Parish Cllr.P Sergeant– Vice Chairman, Hesketh with Becconsall Parish Council
Parish Cllr. D Vickers – Chairman, North Meols Parish Council
Parish Cllr. D. Rydings – Chairman, Tarleton Parish Council
County Cllr. M Barron – County Councillor for the Northern Parishes
Lorraine Fullbrook – Conservative Parliamentary Candidate

The Northern Parishes Road group, 19th October 2007

TRAFFIC ISSUES
Dear Sir,
I have been looking back on previous postings on your website regarding concerns about traffic in our village.

I have also kept newspaper cuttings from 2003 and 2004 and looking back on those I am concerned that despite a lot of fine words being spoken at the time nothing seems to have been attempted to reduce traffic and traffic speeds in Tarleton.

I quote the “Village Visiter” from October 15th 2003;-
Boy Hurt on Deadly Road – It shows a picture of Cllr Mee & the late Cllr Hodge who were campaigning for a pedestrian crossing on Church Road. It also states that Cllr Evans was supporting a campaign for a controlled crossing or a 20mph speed limit near Holy Trinity CE School.

A further quote from the “Southport Visiter” from July 9th 2004;-
Gran pleading: ‘Slow down before you kill’ – A Mrs Vickers who lives on Blackgate Lane expressed the concern of a number of residents that the speed of vehicles, including lorries, is increasing and show no respects for those who live and walk on Blackgate Lane. The Community Beat Manager, PC Corrigan, had spent some time slowing traffic down and stated that some motorists didn’t even know the speed limit was 30mph.

Lancashire County Council in Oct 2006 stated –“A relief road would only reduce general traffic in Tarleton by 14-17% & HGV’s by 24-30% whilst causing a considerable increase in general traffic and HGV’s on Taylor’s Meanygate. It would not be practical to ban HGV’s from Tarleton Village and that they have no proposals for traffic or speed of traffic in Tarleton.

The Department of Transport in 2003 refused to increase the number of speed limit signs on Church Road & Blackgate Lane, a quote from their own advisory leaflet stated ‘For 30mph lit roads, no repeaters (speed limit signs) are permitted under the regulations 10(2)(a).

David Borrow in 2006 passed on concerns to LCC who in turn replied they were not prepared to do anything.

So……….

Does Lancs CC not appreciate that residents would love to see a 24-30% reduction in HGV’s using the village?

Does the Dept of Transport not consider that its rules might need changing?

Would our duly elected County Councillor please report on what actions have actually been taken by those who were said to be trying for.

A. A 20 miles per hour speed limit on Church Road. ( Many other areas in West Lancs have similar limits)

B. A Pedestrian Crossing on Church Road.

C. Slower Traffic through our lovely village.

In the absence of replies to earlier question one can only assume that those in the know have their own agenda and are really not interested in making Tarleton a safer place for residents who elected them.

Yours faithfully,
J Johnston, 6th July 2007

Some of you may have noticed in the week before the 4th June, signage at a few locations in the Carr Lane area, informing of a three week closure for water main repairs. At 9.00am on the 4th June, as indicated, two workmen in a large Lancashire County Council lorry started placing additional signage to inform drivers the road was closed. This work took six hours to complete, whereupon they left for the day.
As an aside at this point, I was quite amused when driving up Gorse Lane to the village, to note that the diversion signs were totally off the wall. The sign on the left hand footpath of Gorse Lane told me to divert to the left at the roundabout, whilst the one on the right hand footpath told me to turn right at the roundabout! Not very good if you don't know the area, like all the HGV drivers coming from the moss into the village.

Amusement aside, Tuesday the 5th June, the same two workmen in the same LCC vehicle arrived, and promptly took down all the signs and disappeared. At rough reckoning, two men, six hours per day each, probably earning about £15 per hour plus the running costs of the vehicle, this little exercise cost us about £400. For this sum of money, there was no work carried out at all, so either they have cancelled the job for no reason or maybe they've suddenly heard that Walking Day takes place on the 9th June, in which case the same two workmen will be back the following Monday to do exactly the same. The words booze up and brewery spring readily to mind, although I would have put it a little differently. So folks, don't hold your breath on getting anything done by our District or County Council's, neither of them know their bottom from their elbow, again my version is slightly different.

Chris Stringfellow, 6th June 2006

Dear Sir,
Mr Rydings automatically assumes my gender to be male. As he has previously made similar assumptions on the letters pages of this website it must be reasonable to conclude that Mr Rydings holds a deep seated view that only men are capable of forming and/or communicating an opinion.
I am sure that Tarleton resident and prospective parliamentary Conservative candidate, Mrs Fullbrook, would be only to pleased to discuss this matter with Mr Rydings. While she is at it, perhaps she could also fathom out the relevance of banging on about communism and dictators when (not) answering a question about when the moss roads might be fixed.
Sincerely,
J. Ball, 4th June 2007

Sir,
Whilst the politicians apportion blame, the Moss roads of Tarleton and Hesketh Bank crumble and the best suggestion so far is that we should all lobby Lancashire County Council!

As there is no debate to be had about the shocking state of these roads then just what are we actually being asked to lobby for - the council to do their job? Will these roads only become a priority when they actually become impassable? If that is the case then at the present rate of deterioration I would estimate that to be within 12 months anyway (and thus should be budgeted for in any case).

It is infuriating to see our elected representatives trying to make political capital whilst watching the roads of our village break apart . No doubt Mr Rydings is correct about Lancashire County Council being tasked with maintaining our roads but perhaps he might take the time to consider that if his beloved West Lancashire District Councillors had not repeatedly passed totally inappropriate developments without there being suitable infrastructure in place then this would not be an issue.

Whether it be industrial scale food distribution centres or housing estates, West Lancs have continued to nod them off and then shrug their shoulders when the roads, sewers, water pressure etc fail to cope with the additional demand. As you say Mr Ridings, in a democracy there are rights and responsibilities and Instead of lecturing us, perhaps you could run a seminar at WLDC.

Speaking of rights and responsibilities, perhaps our elected County Councillor would care to answer the very simple question posed by Mr Holcroft - when will our roads be repaired?

J. Ball, 3rd June 2007

Typical politicians answer, Mr. Rydings, you will go far!
I thought that a democracy meant that elected representatives at any level were supposed to support the people who elected them whatever their views. Ask the majority of people who live in Hesketh Bank if we want better roads, police station, library, health centre, public toilets, car park and then you'll see what a democracy is. A bit like insurance really; compulsory to pay in but difficult to get anything back in return.
Richard Hodson 3rd June 2007

Why does everything have to get political? I am a native of Hesketh Bank and like every other village and town throughout the country we have seen a reduction in services, policing etc continuously through successive governments whether Labour or Conservative and we have had to pay continuously more for it.
We seem to be over-blessed with plenty of people in authority from Local through to National telling everyone else what to do without actually doing anything themselves.
Talk about the state of the roads, can you imagine how they would be if we weren't fortunate enough to have a certain Mr. Bob Foster out in all weathers trying to keep the place something like tidy. Come next local Parish elections Bob gets my vote; one of the few people I know with the village interests at heart.
Richard Hodson, 1st June 2007

Dear Sir,
J Johnston & S Holcroft have written recently about the state of the roads and footpaths in and around Tarleton.
I fully appreciate their concerns but would respectfully suggest that they lobby Lancashire County Council who are responsible for the roads in Tarleton.
I have copied below a report from the Conservative Group on LCC deploring the state of the highways in our County. Please remember that LCC is Labour controlled:-

On February 22 at the full Council meeting, Cty. Cllr Keith Young, spokesman on transport and highways for the Conservative Group tabled a critical motion calling attention to the Labour Council’s failure to maintain the County highways and pavements to an acceptable standard. The notice of motion called on the Labour Cabinet to, “demonstrate its commitment to the urgent implementation of policies to remedy these deficiencies so that residents will feel that something tangible is being done.”

Labour Councillors refused to support the motion indicating that they at least were perfectly satisfied with things as they were.

Numbers of Conservative Councillors intervened in the debate citing examples of poor performance brought to them by their constituents. These included temporary patching rather than proper repairs, poor response times, defects not attended causing hazards to pedestrians, in some cases giving rise to claims for personal injury. One member said that the backlog of maintenance was so great that Lancashire’s roads are among the worst in the country. If lack of resources is the problem, that is down to the Labour government, which refuses to provide sufficient money for councils to spend on these basic services.

Other members complained of traffic congestion, the withdrawal of heavily subsidised school bus services without any attempt to look for more economical means of delivery. This at a time when the Local Transport Plan calls for increased bus usage.

The Conservatives have already put forward proposals for a £3 million program for refurbishing pavements throughout the County. This could have been financed by modest reductions in the 154 million miles travelled by Council staff every year but Labour turned it down.

What is needed is a more creative “Can Do” approach designed to address these problems rather than complacent self-congratulation over Lancashire’s four-star “excellent” Council status. As Cllr Young pointed out during the debate:

“The Government may choose to think that this is an excellent Council but if you ask those people who use Lancashire’s roads and pavements every day what they thought, you would get a very different kind of answer.” (Ends)

I'm sure that both the correspondents will appreciate that there is no immediate solution to the problem as long as Labour hold the purse strings at County Hall. What I would ask is that they support Conservative moves to get more funding for roads and pavements in Lancashire.

The Green Lane Link is high on the local Conservatives agenda as the only real solution to ensuring HGV's do not need to access the village when travelling to the Moss.

Yours faithfully,
Parish Cllr. Dave Rydings, 30th May 2007

Hundred End Lane
Sir,
Can anyone in the know even speculate as to how long it will be before something is done about this appalling stretch of road? So far as I can see, the Local Authority's only response to complaints has been not to improve the road surface but merely to erect signs warning that the road is uneven. Talk about stating the obvious.

I shudder to think how many milesworth of life expectancy our vehicles' suspensions lose through traversing this third world surface which, in terms of smoothness, makes Southport Coast Road feel like a German Autobahn. I know it's not the only shocker around (Gorse/Legh Lane, Blackgate Lane at the Huntapac end spring to mind) but it's got to be up there (down there?) among the worst.
Mr Simon Holcroft, 26th May 2007

Bank Bridge:
Another serious accident on the A59 just east of Bank Bridge on Monday night.
I know we all hate traffic restrictions but isn't it time there was a limit on the stretch to the Toll bar roundabout.
Wasn't there a plan in the past to by-pass what has always been a danger spot?
Soon someone will be killed probably turning into the creche. I use the road every day and see lunacy frequently. Any thoughts?
Mick Bodill 22nd November 2006

Dear Editor,
I don't know who is spinning who here, but any reader can verify for themselves the veracity of my point about Mr. Rydings Political Agenda by visiting the website he very helpfully has listed in his latest ditty.
Now then, according to Mr. Rydings, Vice Chairman (Political) as listed under 'Branch Committee' does not exist and furthermore if it does, it does not mean it is 'Political' !
So can anyone trust the impartiality of a self-appointed sentinel of all matters in the area?
Cllr. J.E. Hodson, 21st September 2006

Dear Sir,
Reply to P Hipwell - I am not aware of the "goings on" in (Beirut) Mark Square but I would refer anyone to the Police's own website on recorded crime in the area. Why should I comment on them?

I was questioning Chris's evidence and reasoning not his views.

I did not consider I was "having a good old moan", rather I thought I was answering JH's allegations.

A membership secretary deals with paperwork to do with membership - there is no such post in the South Ribble Conservative Association as a political officer. I was setting the matter straight.

I hope I've answered your questions.
Yours faithfully,
Dave Rydings, 19th September 2006

P. Hipwell, 18th September 2006
P.S. Does anyone really understand these new laws regarding children< 4' 5" etc. Thats the easy bit, the bits I dont get are those about exceptional cases and front seats etc ....yadda yadda...

In reply to Mr Rydings letter, and the points he raises, no I did not attend any of events he mentions, by the time of these the outcome was already a foregone conclusion. As for delving deeper into the accusations, by the time he dug deeper, the police had already pulled out. In reply to the other points, yes I have proof of these crimes, yes I do report them to the police, and as he is well aware, a member of my family is on the PACT.

If he wants proof of the crimes, let me see, a burnt out house on Hesketh Lane, the target of an arson attack - the shell is still there, a recent attack on a person in Mark Square with a golf club, plus the assailants smashed a car with the same weapon - this was witnessed by numerous people including myself, the same evening, attempted petrol bomb attacks in a nearby street, members of my family tell me they will not go near Mark Sqare after dusk, its too frightening, ask the local shopkeepers who open at night how much trade they have lost in recent months - how much evidence would Mr Rydings like?

Tarleton is starting to feel more like Beirut than a Lancashire village. In terms of paying more for my policing, why should I? I already pay council taxes for policing, and I am not receiving a service for that, I'm getting Mickey Mouse and Pluto on pushbikes, I'm not asking for different treatment than any other resident of the area, we all pay for the police - when are we going to see a return on our payments. Finally, I have attended a number of these PUBLIC MEETINGS with the police in the past, and I know full well, the only people they will listen to are their political masters, from local and central government, hence my call for our local politicians to join forces and get something done, not leave it to Joe Public - they were all elected to represent US, lets see them put their money where their mouths are and do some representing.

Chris Stringfellow, 16th September 2006

Dear Editor,
In response to the assertions by Dave Rydings ( Political Officer to the Local Conservative Association) that I, as an individual, made misleading statements over the Police Resource Centre, I would wish to point out that the consultation was agreed by the Parish Council as a Corporate decision and not by myself alone although the general observation that it was the Over 60's Car Park or nowhere was an accurate ( as history now shows) assessment of the likely outcome. This was not merely said because it was being presented as a fait accompli but as an accurate reflection of what the Police themselves had been saying all along.
Mr Rydings is perhaps being carried away in his eagerness to yet again 'prove' the wrongness of 'Cllr. Hodson' and his crew!
The fact is, as events proved, the Local Conservatives were hell bent on stopping the Police Resource Centre from going ahead whatever the cost to the village, with their only alternative site being in private ownership which virtually guarenteed that the Police would have insufficient funds for the project to go ahead. In the end Mr. Rydings and his cohorts got their wish by making the proposal so controversial that the Police pulled back from the deal. For him to accuse Mr. Stringfellow of not joining the debate by not attending the 'Meeting' held at the Cock & Bottle is more than misleading in itself. This is an insult to the intelligence of Mr. Stringfellow and the wider community. Not only did the vast majority of the village boycott this trumped up political event but also, revealingly, so did the Police themselves.
So, just exactly what did Mr. Rydings and the Conservatives achieve ? Well they can be very proud of the fact that they got yet another Tory Councillor elected and into the bargain managed to lose Tarleton £220,000 of investment into a facility which would have been a tremendous asset to the village. Well done!!
Cllr. J.E.Hodson, 15th September 2006

Dear Sir,
I would like to answer Chris Stringfellow's accusation about the alleged sabotaging of the Police Resource Centre. I, like everyone I have spoken to in the village, would have liked to have seen the siting of a new Police Resource Centre in a more central location than it currently is. The fact is that information was put out at the time by the then Chair of the Parish Council, John Hodson, who claimed that it was on the site of the Over 60's car park or not at all. It has since transpired that that information was misleading together with alleged costs of other sites within the village. If you had followed the discussions (including a public meeting held in the Cock and Bottle at the time) and delved into it deeper (as I did at the time), then you would not now be making such a misguided accusation about a vociferous few.
Might I ask you Chris - have you contacted the police about all this alleged crime in the village of Tarleton? Have you evidence to back up your statements? Do you attend PACT meetings to give your evidence to the police?
Finally, are you prepared to pay more for policing on your council tax? Why not attend the PUBLIC MEETING at 7pm on Tuesday 25th September at the High School and offer your views and evidence the members of the Police Authority.
Yours faithfully,
Dave Rydings, 15th September 2006

Further to Jackie Parry's letter dated 14th September, my feeling is that if we had a real police presence in Tarleton, instead of the Mickey Mouse CSO's, they could deal with illegal cycling activities by prosecuting some of the offenders. As things stand, the CSO's are barely out of school themselves, and spend more time hanging around Mark Square precinct or the streets with their former mates.

Since the out and out sabotaging of the proposed Police Station in the village centre by a vociferous few, it has become quite noticeable that the police are giving this area a wide berth and choosing to patrol other parts of the district. We now have a situation in Tarleton, and presumably Hesketh Bank where violent crimes are going unchecked, burglary numbers are rising and large numbers of residents are refusing to use the village shopping areas after 5.00pm due to the intimidation they perceive from the large numbers of younger people congregating there.

In all aspects of community life, Tarleton is becoming the OK Corral of West Lancashire, and until we receive a decent police service for our council taxes, it will continue to worsen.

My personal opinion is that it is now time for our Parish Councillors, be they Conservative or Independent, Tarleton and Hesketh Bank, to unite and demand a better service from Lancashire Constabulary, with a regular (REAL, not mickey mouse) police presence and patrols in Tarleton and Hesketh Bank.

Does anyone else have any views on this matter?

Chris Stringfellow, 14th September 2006

Dear Editor
I agree that there is a parking problem.
My main gripe is re parking in Tarleton. There are ample car parking facilities but still people park on the roads causing congestion of traffic and also problems for pedestrians.
Yesterday I was driving out of Tarleton past the NatWest Bank. As usual, someone was parked on the double yellow lines. The oncoming car did not stop as he should have but carried out, hitting my car (whoever you were, thank you so much). This road is not only used by cars but also large lorries, tractors and buses. The other problem area is the TCP school and also on the bend ahead of the petrol station. This is an accident waiting to happen in the times when the school is letting out or in the mornings. Some time soon a pedestrian is going to be hit. It will be too late then.
Lesley Standish-Gore, 19th January 2006

In response to Dave Rydings letter about parking.I phoned the police complaining I couldn't walk along Kearsley Ave without having to walk on the road as cars were parked on the pavement upto garden fences and walls.
I was told it was no longer a police matter it was a council matter. When I told her there was 16 cars parked and 14 on the pavement I was told to walk around them. I asked what action would be taken if I accidently scratched a car whilst squeezing past on the pavement. I was told I'd be liable for criminal damage.
But lets face it the police are a waste of space as they either can't be bothered or can't do it or can't put the cup of tea down. Oh and Mr Ryding you will never see me at a council meeting as I work nights and have done for 13 years.
Brian Curran, 18th January 2006

With regard the recent comments about motorists' parking on the pavement; I feel that the problem is not simply the parking two wheels up on the kerb, but their parking on the road at all. There is no "selfishness" in a motorist parking on the kerb; they are simply showing consideration for other motorists at the expense of pedestrians

There's no need to labour the point about the roads in Tarleton being over capacity because this is perfectly evident, and parked cars only exacerbate the problem. On Hesketh Lane and Church Road this presents a traffic problem, and on side roads such as Hillcrest Drive and Sutton Avenue, a safety issue. Many of the traditional houses along Hesketh Lane have long, narrow driveways, and I expect that the problem is laziness. These houses have off-road parking for two or three cars, but residents won't make the effort to shuffle them around and instead leave one on the road. I lose count of the times I've queued with two dozen other cars to pass a car parked outside a house with an empty driveway. In Hillcrest Drive this has reached the point where I regularly stop just off the junction at the top to let a car all the way up from the top of Holly Grove / Hillcrest Close, because there is nowhere to pass in between. Being as Hesketh Lane clearly can't be widened, and Johnsons Meanygate can't be extended to the by-pass, we're stuck with large goods vehicles, and heavy commuter traffic, through the village. It would be a sad state of affairs if Holy Trinity church and the Becconsall Inn needed to be joined by unsightly double yellow lines, but I don't feel the road has any capacity for on-road (or on-pavement) parking.

One small respite from this situation would at least come with the proposed expansion of the Mark's Square facility, which might just tempt the worst parkers in the village, those outside Threshers etc, onto the attractive new car park.

Regards,
P Corbett, 28 October 2005

Regarding Steve Hoghton's comments about cyclists riding without lights - as usual this is a comment aimed at children and their parents. I have 4 children my eldest son uses lights on his bike - IT IS ADULTS he should be pointing the finger at as well. For example a few weeks ago I met 2 elderly people with one badly lit light between them, they were nearly knocked off their bikes down Guide Road, further up Station Road I passed a man riding a bike with NO lights and carrying a small dog (jack russell) in one arm!!!! Whilst I appreciate Steve may be concerned for children being knocked off their bikes in the dark, is your driving perfect - have you ever driven without full care and attention, have you ever speeded.......

Regarding Paul Cartwright's comments, I also lived down The Chimes, and I agree with his comments. Even though I drive a LWB Shogun it is impossible to vehicles approaching the mini roundabout from Tarleton - if the vehicle is a sports car (which there are a lot about now) you have no chance of seeing them. It think the problem is the fact that the roundabout is useless if you can't see vehicles approaching it. Also drivers approaching it are not aware of this problem, and most just drive over it - put some speed humps up and some bigger signals.
Traffic calming measures here would benefit the very busy area in the village aroung the school, and also the same would have to be done on Coe Lane.
The trouble is PEOPLE DRIVE TOO FAST. And for every new house that has been built we have gained how many more cars on our already congested and dangerous roads!
Carol Baxter-Nobbs, 24th March 2005

Dave seems to be slightly confused as to the differing responsibilities of the Parish, District and County Councils, although a brief look at the Tarleton Parish Council website would have clarified his misunderstanding. The Parish Council website shows that in practice their responsibilities are really quite low-level stuff, but naturally of importance to those of us who live here:

The extract I have already quoted from West Lancs District Council shows that responsibility for potholes, road signs, traffic calming, etc clearly lies with the County Council. We might wish that was not the case, we might believe that if the Parish Council were given the powers they would be able to implement what we residents actually want, but wishful thinking about getting the Parish Council to make a take-over bid for highway maintenance is as realistic as blaming the District Council at Ormskirk for the war in Iraq. In neither case has the council been given the power to do anything about the situtation. Although both councils are free to express an opinion and offer advice on any matter under the sun (as are we all), the ultimate responsibility lies further up the chain.

If, like Dave, anybody else feels that our District and County councillors have not been doing the job they have been elected to do (in this case on road safety), I urge you to take the matter up with them directly. Blaming the Parish Council for the failings of the District and County Councils is neither fair nor rational. Blaming the District Council for the failings of the Council Council is equally wrong. The Parish Council can and do lobby on traffic issues with considerable vigour, as does the District Council, but the responsible body is the County Council, as explained on the WLDC website. By all means ask the Parish Council to emphasise to WLDC and LCC how important the matter is to us, but I'm sure a far better response would be achieved if we were to bring our concerns directly to those bodies with the power to do something about it. So I stick with my original advice - fol low the guidance on the WLDC website and report problems and concerns to Ormskirk, who will pass them on to the County Council.

And that, I promise, is my last word on the subject, other than to say a short article on the various responsibilities of the Parish, District and County Councils would be interesting for both villages (Hesketh Bank and Tarleton) if anybody could be persuaded to write one. We would then know where our various complaints could be most effectively directed. Apart from perhaps achieving a successful resolution of the particular problem, this would provide an additional, valuable benefit by avoiding a potential avalanche of letters on various subjects, all attempting to shovel blame onto the Parish Council (whose members are unpaid) in a transparent attempt to protect those really responsible (who receive payment just for turning up at meetings). Which makes me think ...... that would be another interesting article ..... the payments made by the three levels of council to our local representatives.

Yours,
Glenys Simpson, 6th January 2005

The following extract from WLDC's website shows where responsibility for this state of affairs lies:

Sadly only two of our three West Lancs District Council seats are currently filled, and equally regrettably we do not for the moment have a County Council representative. As the above extract shows, we can all speak directly to the District Council and ask them to pass on our concerns to the County Council. The councillors have so far proved themselves somewhat ineffective, so perhaps it would be a good time to take matters into our own hands and make our feelings clear to those with the power to do something about it. And doing it sooner, rather than later too!

Regards,
Glenys Simpson, 4th January 2005

Dear Ed,
W e recently (about 18 months ago) moved into the Rowland Bardsley developement on Coe Lane. When we exit the development we use the mini round-a-bout on the junction of Meadow Way and Coe Lane.
While we have lived here we have had one crash and several near misses where people have been coming from our left, and thus where we have right of way, and they don't seem to pay any attention to the mini round-a-bout. People speed over it sometimes without even looking and I quite often have to beep my horn to remind people of my presence.
I am worried that if people don't slow down and don't recognise the round-a-bout then a serious accident (i say losely) is inevitable.
So if you're reading this, PLEASE pay attention and slow down.
Regards
Katie Cottrell, 28th December 2004