Parish Council - parking / dog waste bags

Street parking in Nocton

The Parish Council is beginning to receive complaints from residents about the parking of vehicles in the vicinity of the two bus stops in Main Street as you enter the village from the B1188. The situation is becoming so bad that buses and lorries are finding it very difficult to manoeuvre and it can only be a matter of time before there is an accident on this stretch of the road. Recently, a person was left waiting at the bus stop because the bus driver couldn’t see them standing there for the parked vehicles!

The Parish Council does, of course, appreciate that provided a vehicle is taxed, insured and has a valid MOT, then it can be parked legally on the highway. However, the Parish Council is asking for the co-operation of residents in refraining from parking in such a way as to cause an obstruction and, of course, to minimise the risk of damage to their own vehicle!

The Parish Council would, therefore, politely ask all residents to be aware of the effect that their parking may have on pedestrians and other road users by:

• not parking in the immediate vicinity of bus stops or directly opposite another vehicle
• not parking on the footpath
• using an off-street parking place if they have one

The Parish Council very much hopes that residents will understand the reasons for this request and that further action on its part to deal with the problem will prove unnecessary.

Thank you for your co-operation.

Nocton Parish Council

“Dog waste bag” dispenser – The Bridle Path

For some time, the Parish Council has been concerned at the number of “waste bags” which are being taken from the dispenser situated on the Bridle Path to Dunston. From its close monitoring of the situation, it would appear that some dogs owners are choosing to taking more than they need for a walk or, in some cases, removing the whole supply rather than purchasing their own bags. In March, for example, some 1100 bags were taken at a cost to the Parish Council of more than £50!

Recently, the Dog Warden who (along with myself) keeps the dispenser topped up found that it had been deliberately opened and all the bags removed.

This dispenser was provided for use by responsible dog owners who had forgotten to take a bag with them or whose dog had perhaps been “caught short” unexpectedly. It was not provided for those owners who would rather the residents of Nocton contributed towards the running costs of their pet.

The cost to the village of keeping the dispenser supplied with bags is now such that unless its use returns to normal levels, the Parish Council may well be left with no alternative but to remove the facility. This would be a great shame since I know that fellow dog walkers (and others) value the dispenser which was deliberately sited in one of the areas in the village most prone to dog fouling.

Councillor Ian Goldsworthy: Chair – Nocton Parish Council