WELLINGTON Town Council might have to seriously consider putting up funds to help improve the safety and appearance of the town’s North Street car park.

Cllr Keith Wheatley has been campaigning for improved signage and general improvements to the Wellington’s car parks, including the one in North Street.

The car park is owned by Somerset Council, which has refused to devolve ownership to the town council as it looks to off-load services to parishes to reduce its costs.

Town councillors want to see it made more user-friendly and safer both for pedestrians and motorists.

But with funds virtually non-existent at the bankruptcy-threatened unitary council, their hopes of achieving the shopping list of ‘wants’ seem remote.

A bike rack in Wellington's North Street car park has been hit and damaged by vehicles which have to make a blind right-hand turn.
A bike rack in Wellington's North Street car park has been hit and damaged by vehicles which have to make a blind right-hand turn. ( )

Cllr Wheatley said the town authority would be happy to work with the county on coming up with ideas and ‘a proper scheme’.

But, he said: “When we spoke to Somerset Council we had a veiled ‘no’ to our request to action a pedestrian walkway through North Street car park.”

Councillors were concerned about a sharp right hand turn on entering the main car park from Fore Street where a relocated bike rack on the corner had already been hit and damaged.

And while bicycle racks can be repaired, there were more pressing concerns that pedestrians could be in danger because there was no proper pavement for them to use.

The town council’s facilities manager Annette Kirk said that it would be safer if the road from Fore Street went straight down the side of the car park rather than motorists having to make the sharp turn.

Cllr Mike McGuffie, who is chairman of the town council’s environment committee, was keen to see some greenery added to the car park to make it more pleasing on the eye for those who lived next to it.

He said: “Perhaps Somerset Council could make the area look more attractive with some trees and a green area.

“It is a bit grim coming out of the housing and walking into a car park.”

Councillors discussed whether the town council should make funding available to be spent on improving the North Street car park.

Cllr Wheatley said: “Perhaps we need to expand our offer of help to finance some of the work.

North Street car park, Wellington, and the town's two other pub car parks cold see overnight and Sunday charges introduced this year by Somerset Council.
Town councillors want to see safety and amenity improvements in North Street car park, Wellington. (Tindle News)

“Perhaps next time we are budget setting we could put forward a coherent proposal to put a few decent sized trees in the car park.

“But perhaps we should also come up with a bit more of a plan.”

Councillors had previously said that the North Street car park has been used as an ‘illegal rat-run’ for many years.

Problems have occurred in the past because drivers cut through the car park from its entrance on Fore Street and drove down into North Street in order to avoid the traffic lights at the junction of Fore Street, North Street, South Street, and High Street by the Iron Duke public house.

Cllr Wheatley said talks with Somerset Council about improving the car park were an ‘ongoing situation’.