Pensioners to lose mobile library service

1.44.56pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 30th Jul 2009

Pensioners to loose mobile Library Service

Residents of St Mary's Fold, a residential scheme for retired people, have been told that the mobile library will cancel its visits to them because the Council has given a license for the installation of bollards which make it impossible for large vehicles to turn.

Councillor David Ward, chair of the Bradford North Area Committee has taken up their concerns with the Council. He said,

" The situation is completely unacceptable. The loss of the library service will be keenly felt by residents.

The Council has granted a license for the bollards across St Mary's Road without any thought being given to the effect it would have on local residents. Vehicles are using their car park to turn round in, large vehicles including emergency vehicles cannot get to their homes because of parking in St Mary's Road which is now their only access, and access to Parsonage Road has been cut off. The Access Bus can't get to St Mary's Fold and is dropping off elderly residents well away from their homes.

A resident of Parsonage Road has confirmed that he has used the access for 21 years and considers it part of the highway. I believe that a public right of way will now have been acquired. The law quite clearly states that the licence under which the bollards were erected should not authorise ' any interference with the convenience or affect the right of owners of premises adjoining the highway.

The Council's response so far has been completely unhelpful. They are refusing to removed the bollards and deny that there is any problem saying that it is a dispute between neighbours. My answer to that is that this is a dispute the council caused and it should do all it can to resolve it.

Residents of St Mary's Fold have handed a petition to the Council asking the for the bollards to be removed and I am supporting them by taking the petition to the Bradford north Area Committee."