CHAOS and frustration are becoming regular features of Fore Street in Kingsbridge, as loading bays are pinched by opportunistic motorists and delivery drivers are forced to either park on pavements or block the road.

Last week, Fore Street erupted into a symphony of horns and swearing when a lorry blocked the road for nearly twenty minutes, causing tailbacks down to the Quay.

Other delivery drivers use the more considered approach of parking half of their wheels onto the pavement, but this can cause damage to pavements and restrict the path for pedestrians.

Rufus Gilbert, county and district councillor told the Gazette: ‘For all the years I’ve been a councillor, this is an issue that has arisen time and time again.

‘A few years ago, consideration was given to Manchester bollards on the right hand side of the pavement going up Fore Street. Although this plan was later dropped, as it would have shut the town down, forcing lorries to block the road when delivering.

Cllr Gilbert suggested and said he would lend his support to tarmacing the pavements on the right hand side going up the hill, if Kingsbridge Town Council decided so.

He said: ‘Tarmacing would remove any upset stones and trip hazards.

‘Devon County Council offered to tarmac the pavements a few years ago, but the town council turned down this option on aesthetic grounds.

‘The tarmac could be red, such as that seen at the crossings at the bottom of the town, which would then change colour with time, due to rain and other environmental factors.

‘However, this is for the town council and community to decide.

Every month, DCC inspect the pavements in Kingsbridge, and are obliged to carry out repairs if there is a ‘vertical deviation of more than 20mm’ within seven days of identifying the problem.

Cllr Gilbert continued: ‘I often get calls from people tripping up while walking down hill, often falling harder than they would if they were on a level pavement.

When asked about whether people were seeking compensation from DCC, Cllr Gilbert said: ‘The people I have spoken to are obviously decent people, who just want to report the problem - although surely it’s only a matter of time before someone makes a claim.’

A spokesman for DCC confirmed this week that no compensation payments had been paid to people tripping over faulty pavements in Kingsbridge over the last two years.

At a town council meeting last month, county and district councillor Julian Brazil suggested that greater enforcement action should be taken on Fore Street for all vehicles.

However, Cllr Gilbert told the Gazette: ‘Sometimes I get complaints from businesses saying enforcement is too harsh - as the shops need to receive their deliveries, and the drivers have no other options if the loading bays are already occupied.

Speaking to the Gazette this week, Cllr Brazil said: ‘We’ve got limited resources and with delivery vans parking on pavements because cars are parking in loading bays - it’s a bit of a viscous circle.

‘Council officers inspect the pavements regularly, but the truth is, they aren’t fixed if they aren’t deemed to be a hazard.

‘DCC seem to be finding it hard to realise that things need to be done.

‘I feel very sorry because we want to encourage as many people as possible to walk up Fore Street as the businesses there depend on it and I appreciate that it’s a big issue if people trip up and hurt themselves.

‘The problem is we’re trying to juggle vital services in the face of harsh cuts from central government.

‘I’m disappointed that the government keeps cutting resources - I dread to think where we’ll be in five years time.’

The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association is campaigning for a nationwide law prohibiting parking on pavements saying: ‘Poorly parked vehicles which block some or all of the pavement cause problems for many pedestrians. It can force people who are blind or partially sighted, parents with pushchairs, wheelchair users, and many others, to walk on the road and into the path of oncoming traffic.’

However, Phyllis Angliss from Talking Newspapers for the Blind in the South Hams said: ‘I haven’t heard anyone complaining about the problem, but then people here don’t complain.’