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Darwen garage owner: Academy restrictions could finish my firm

6:30pm Monday 6th September 2010 in


A GARAGE owner said he 'could be finished' if parking restrictions are not lifted around his business.

Chris Ward has run Sudell Road Motors in Darwen for 22 years.

But he said ‘no unloading’ limits brought in last week because of the opening of the new Darwen Academy building across the road, meant he could no longer have parts delivered.

Council bosses said they brought in the measure following a full consultation.

Mr Ward said: "I’ve got to run a business, and how can I do that if I can’t get the parts? It’ll finish me without them.”

“Three months ago a man from the Highways department came to have a look at the road and I told him I need a drop off zone outside.

“Then all of a sudden workmen came along and drew up the lines and there’s been a no unloading sign put up against my rails.

“I’ve been here 22 years and for the last 18 months I’ve put up with a lot because of the academy building.

“There’s been every road to my business dug up for weeks on end, and I’ve had to cancel jobs because of it.

“Now there’s this. The academy has an entrepeneurial specialism to encourage more businesses, but look what’s happening to mine.”

The road restrictions, including double yellow lines, have been put in place to improve safety for pupils around the school building.

Darwen Mayor and sudell councillor Paul Browne said: “I’ve been onto the highways department about this because I think it’s scandalous.

“He’s going to end up losing business and that’s disgusting."

George Bell, who is in charge of highways for the council’s partner Capita Symonds, said the consultation 'gave all residents and business owners the opportunity to have their say'.

He said: "One of our highways officers met Mr Ward at his business premises to discuss his concerns. The officer explained the reasons for the restrictions. No verbal agreement was made as this would have a detrimental effect on the whole scheme and safety around the academy."

Comments(18)

Viv says...
6:49pm Mon 6 Sep 10

Whats wrong with deliveries vans parking just around the corner where there is no restriction? Or is Mr Ward miffed becuase it means he can't do work on cars on the road like he often does. To be honest I'm rather glad I won't now have to take my life in my hands and walk into the road because there's a car parked half way accross the pavement outside the garage.

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Darwenit says...
7:02pm Mon 6 Sep 10

I'll be glad that people cannot park their vehicles down sudell road. Unloading vehicles should be made an exception. And as for people taking their life into their own hands walking into the road then maybe they shouldn't be out of the house in the first place because with this retarded point of view road crossing is proving such a problem. But no parking on Sudell road has come at such a big price with one of Darwen's biggest eyesores being erected in what is known as an Academy.

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mars5 says...
7:56pm Mon 6 Sep 10

Seriously what is wrong with people??? I rarely comment, but I found it utterly infuriating when people continuously complain against all the 'eyesores' in Darwen...

A brand new health centre - how awful, an incredible new leisure centre - poor us, and now a multi million pound school - I can barely contain my disappointment!!!

It doesn't matter what the news article is about, one mention of the academy or the leisure centre and people just can't resist having a dig - you all know who you are, would you prefer it if Darwen went back to how it was - really?

Please can be people stop moaning and start appreciating how much our little town has improved.

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happycyclist says...
8:48pm Mon 6 Sep 10

mars5 wrote:
Seriously what is wrong with people??? I rarely comment, but I found it utterly infuriating when people continuously complain against all the 'eyesores' in Darwen...

A brand new health centre - how awful, an incredible new leisure centre - poor us, and now a multi million pound school - I can barely contain my disappointment!!!

It doesn't matter what the news article is about, one mention of the academy or the leisure centre and people just can't resist having a dig - you all know who you are, would you prefer it if Darwen went back to how it was - really?

Please can be people stop moaning and start appreciating how much our little town has improved.
Couldn't agree more!

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DEO VOLENTE says...
10:32pm Mon 6 Sep 10

Yet another bad decision for the hard working people of Darwen. "New Labour" and their ridiculous "Social Engineering" put numerous U.K. businesses at risk. "New Labour" are and always have been bad for U.K. business.
Deus Vobiscum

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MartonBlue says...
10:46pm Mon 6 Sep 10

mars5 wrote:
Seriously what is wrong with people??? I rarely comment, but I found it utterly infuriating when people continuously complain against all the 'eyesores' in Darwen...

A brand new health centre - how awful, an incredible new leisure centre - poor us, and now a multi million pound school - I can barely contain my disappointment!!!

It doesn't matter what the news article is about, one mention of the academy or the leisure centre and people just can't resist having a dig - you all know who you are, would you prefer it if Darwen went back to how it was - really?

Please can be people stop moaning and start appreciating how much our little town has improved.
I think the problem with all these new buildings, they have been built in a Town Centre that was already struggling with traffic. The Health Centre has caused problems with parking around people's homes, the same with the Leisure Centre and it now looks like the Academy, is about to do the same. There just isn't the room in Darwen Town Centre for such things when they create so much traffic or restrictions to trade or people homes. They would have been better where they would have caused so many problems

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CapitaBackHander says...
10:56pm Mon 6 Sep 10

Seriously, since when have any delivery drivers taken note of any double yellows or no unloading signs?
Could always remove sign but would have been better not to put it in writing that the sign was there -DUH!

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useyourhead says...
11:06pm Mon 6 Sep 10

CapitaBackHander wrote:
Seriously, since when have any delivery drivers taken note of any double yellows or no unloading signs? Could always remove sign but would have been better not to put it in writing that the sign was there -DUH!
back of the net!

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Graham Hartley says...
11:18pm Mon 6 Sep 10

I think it worth repeating here that an anagram of 'Darwen Academy' is 'new mad daycare', for at least the reason that I want to show that Accrington Academy isn't my sole target in this vein.

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hasslem hasslem says...
11:46pm Mon 6 Sep 10

DEO VOLENTE wrote:
Yet another bad decision for the hard working people of Darwen. "New Labour" and their ridiculous "Social Engineering" put numerous U.K. businesses at risk. "New Labour" are and always have been bad for U.K. business.
Deus Vobiscum
oh, do shut up you daft prat

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Excluded again says...
7:17am Tue 7 Sep 10

Isn't it great to see the Academy finally opened?

A brand new school and sixth form for Darwen children with the best facilities in Darwen and Blackburn. And right in the heart of the town, not hidden away on the edge of town.

For years people complained nothing was done in Darwen. Then, in relatively quick succession, we have had a brand new Health Centre, Leisure Centre and the Academy. Now the same people complain too much is done in Darwen. Ho hum.

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No Worry says...
8:24am Tue 7 Sep 10

Don't worry mate i pass a garage most days where cars are half in the garage and half out on the street and they have to cross double yellow lines to access their business which were in place long before they set up and i'm told they were refused planning permission over a year ago but are still trading.
They park cars in the middle of the road right at the top of the junction, i even noted the police swerving round a car to get past one a few weeks ago.
So ignore the restrictions mate carry on as normal cause no one bats an eyelid.

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A Darener says...
9:51am Tue 7 Sep 10

I don't know about having the Academy in the centre of Darwen, but the closure of Darwen Vale seems to be having a fantastic effect on Bolton Rd near the motorway. Oh! how quiet in a morning. But I bet the postoffice/tuck shop isn't happy.

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happycyclist says...
11:29am Tue 7 Sep 10

Tell your delivery drivers to park on that nice big paved area in front of the school!
There's a dropped kerb to allow access to the disabled bays. Blame it on the sat-nav.

If traffic wardens were capable of using any common sense they could overlook the odd delivery driver parked there and just book everyone else. I suspect they've painted yellow lines everywhere to prevent parents dropping kids off every morning.

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allan1957 says...
12:53pm Tue 7 Sep 10

Why not just park on the double yellow lines like .most people do when collecting post or parcels from the post office, most people dont seem to know what they are for anyway

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A Darener says...
1:21pm Tue 7 Sep 10

allan1957 wrote:
Why not just park on the double yellow lines like .most people do when collecting post or parcels from the post office, most people dont seem to know what they are for anyway
And if you put your hazard warning lights on it makes the car invisible. Or at least that's what some drivers seem to think.

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Viv says...
2:04pm Thu 9 Sep 10

It seems that you may not be aware of the rules regarding yellow lines and loading restrictions. There is a new loading ban on this section of road (as indicated by the double kerb markings), not just double yellow lines and it has been put in place for a purpose - to ensure that all drivers driving up or down Sudell Road have a clear line of sight when driving up or down the road, particularly on the approach to the new zebra crossing.
.
As for your very offensive comment about taking my life in my hands - you obviously don't ever walk down that road. If a vehicle was parked outside Sudell Motors (usually half on half off the pavement) it meant that the pedestrian walking down Sudell Road had to walk into the path of on-coming traffic without having a clear view of that traffic being as it was partially obscured by the parked vehicle - therefore taking a life threatening risk.

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No Worry says...
1:57pm Fri 10 Sep 10

Viv, drivers will take note but wont take heed.

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