A partially-sighted woman has accused authorities of failing to take action against people parking on the pavement and driving over rubbish bags outside her house. Alison Jordan claimed drivers obstruct the pavement outside her Aberdare home "day in, day out" leaving her afraid to go out in case she trips and falls.
The 58-year-old said drivers in her cul-de-sac, Heol Keir Hardie, have at times parked on top of her recycling bags causing rubbish to spill out. On one recent occasion empty Coke cans came loose from the bags and Ms Jordan's CCTV captured a man throwing the cans into her front garden.
She said she has been complaining to Rhondda Cynon Taf council and South Wales Police about pavement parking for years but no enforcement action has been taken. An 'H-bar' road marking next to the dropped kerb outside her home lets drivers know it is an unsuitable place to park but this is only advisory and Ms Jordan claims the marking is routinely ignored.
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Ms Jordan, who on top of her sight problems has arthritis and other health problems following a stroke, heart attack, and cancer battle, said: "I feel like I am being neglected. It feels like I'm invisible."
A council spokesman said: "We are unable to take enforcement action against vehicles that cause an obstruction including pavement parking unless they are in a regulated area, which this isn’t. These matters should be referred to South Wales Police via 101." And a police spokesman said Ms Jordan has been advised on several occasions that "due to the presence of a dropped kerb no parking offences have been committed".
Ms Jordan claims the street's issues do not just include blockage of a dropped kerb but also obstructions of the pavement. After WalesOnline put it to South Wales Police that it is illegal to unnecessarily obstruct a pavement the spokesman directed us to nuisance parking guidance on the force website. The guidance says vehicles parked over dropped kerbs should be reported to the local council. If a vehicle is "parked dangerously" this can be reported to police, it adds.
In 2020 the then-deputy transport minister Lee Waters MS announced plans to give Welsh councils powers to crack down on pavement parking. He said at the time: "There is no specific offence of parking on pavements and though the police can enforce the existing criminal offence of causing ‘unnecessary obstruction of any part of the highway’ it is rarely enforced."
Mr Waters set up a taskforce which earlier this year unveiled proposals to allow councils to issue £70 fines for pavement obstruction. The MS, now deputy minister for climate change, said there would be consultation "with a view to introducing the necessary legislation by the end of 2023". But in April Mr Waters said he had listened to feedback from council leaders and decided to delay the consultation on pavement parking until next year. He added: "This will enable local authorities to focus on the implementation and introduction of default 20mph speed limits in September 2023 and the work to prepare for bus franchising.”
Ms Jordan acknowledged her rubbish bags can "build up a bit" and that on some occasions this has resulted in up to 25 bags being on the pavement for collection. Because of her disabilities she sometimes needs a friend's help to bring the rubbish out and this is not possible every week, which can lead to bags accumulating. The parking issues have also left her concerned about putting the waste out, she added.
Last month her housing association Trivallis wrote to her: "I understand that you are reluctant to put your recycling bags out as a result of the cars parking on the road verge and driving over them resulting in the bags being ripped open. RCT council have stated this area is not to be used for parking but [drivers] continue to park on the verge... We are working with RCT council to try and find a resolution to this."
A spokesman for the council said its staff had recently removed a "large volume of waste" from Ms Jordan's property and "gone over and above to help the complainant in relation to removal of waste". He added: "We understand that there are a number of ongoing issues at this location which partners are working to resolve.”
Trudy Hawkins of Trivallis said: "We work closely with the council and other local agencies to support all of our tenants with a range of matters from waste management and littering to neighbourhood disputes and anti-social behaviour... Our neighbourhood team in Heol Keir Hardie work closely with tenants and private residents in the area to address ongoing issues and we invite those with any updates or new concerns to please report them via the neighbourhood manager or the through our customer service team on 03000 030 888.”
