A STRING of complaints about dangerously parked vehicles and near misses has seen the implementation of a pavement parking ban on a busy street.

Residents in and around Portland Road, Hove, were becoming increasingly frustrated with cars parked on the wide pavements between the School Road and Shelley Road junctions.

A mother of three young children, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “I, for one, am thoroughly sick of having to remind my children that we must be vigilant on the pavement here and all along Portland Road in case cars on the walkway suddenly begin to move without taking care.

“It is totally insane to have to watch out for bad driving on the pavement.

“I am glad it’s finally been sorted.”

Complaints about vehicles parked on the pavement, particularly outside Wish Park Surgery and St Peter’s Church, flooded into local councillors.

Residents were particularly concerned for parents with buggies and wheelchair users, as space on the pavement was compromised.

Wish ward councillors Garry Peltzer Dunn and Robert Nemeth were contacted by a number of people who were worried about their safety when using this stretch of pavement.

Cllr Nemeth said: “We first started getting complaints about 18 months ago, so approached the council about the possibility of measures such as increased warden presence and bollards.”

The Wish ward councillors met with council officers on site to discuss the issue.

It was decided steps needed to be taken to prevent the public from parking on the pavement permanently.

A total pavement parking ban on that stretch of Portland Road has been implemented and comes into force on Monday.

Cllr Nemeth said: “Councillor Peltzer Dunn and I have been contacted by so many mums of kids at the nearby infant and junior schools to say how grateful they are for our work on the issue.

“We’ve said all along this is a serious safety issue given the proximity of this location to schools, a park, a nursery and the surgery.”

Father Jerry O’Brien is the priest at St Peter’s Church on the corner of Portland Road and Tamworth Road.

He said of the pavement parking ban: “I have lots of sympathy with those who have complained about the parking outside the church and the surgery.

“It can be very dangerous, I’ve seen people pull away from here like they are joining a motorway.

“The ban will create some problems though, particularly for Brownie leaders and so forth, who give up their time to run groups at the church and need to park nearby.”