Concerns raised over parking chaos at Wepre Park

Parking chaos has been an issue at Wepre Park, in Connah’s Quay, for many years, but during this past year local resident Michael Lomax said it has become ‘uncontrollable’.

Michael, who has lived there for over 50 years, told the Leader: “It seems to be worse at weekends at the school holidays, but has gotten a lot worse over the last few months.

“It’s dangerous for children and over the weekend it was that bad you wouldn’t have got an emergency vehicle through. It's uncontrollable.

The parking chaos at Wepre Park. Images by Michael Lomax

“Even the footpaths were that clogged up, a double buggy wouldn’t have fit through. I was turning into my road and because of the cars parked, I had to drive on the wrong side of the road, unable to see what was coming.”

Michael added: “Parking at Wepre Park at the weekend has become a nightmare. Cars are parked both sides of the road, it’s regularly reduced to 'single' lane traffic. Emergency vehicles would struggle to get through unhindered.

“Footpaths are blocked. The view as you come out of Richmond Road opposite the park, is restricted in both directions. The general walking public are having to cross the road between parked cars and are not easily seen by drivers.

“I highlighted this to the council in the summer last year, and cones were put outside the park on weekends for a couple of weeks. This just pushed the people coming to the park, to park in Richmond Road and reduce that to single file traffic, also blocking footpaths.”

The Leader has previously reported the traffic chaos in the area and the need for an overspill car park.

Cllr Ian Dunbar, who also lives in the area, said the council has plans to ease the congestion, but funding is desperately needed.

He said: “That’s the norm at the weekend now, we have cars parked everywhere.

“People are coming from everywhere to visit the park because of the publicity it has been getting. They are more than welcome; it brings youngsters and elderly to the park to enjoy.

“Everyone raves about it; they love it and rightly so.”

Cllr Dunbar said that the overspill carpark on the field can only be opened during the dry weather due to ‘cars sinking’ in the mud.

He said: “We are looking at what else we can do in the long term. There is a big island of trees in the main car park we are looking at taking all, or a percentage, of that out and white lining everywhere for designated spaces.

“To the left there is a section of trees, we will look at doing the same there and take the cars up to the top. We will smarten the place up but it’s down to the funding.

“We hope to secure funding from Parc Adfer when it is up and running.

“Wepre Park now is known throughout the county as the jewel in the crown. To lose that due to people parking would be unimaginable.

“Residents are getting annoyed with it and we have had a couple of accidents and road rage in the last year.

“All side streets are chocker so we are hoping when the funding opens up, we can get it and sort the issue out.”