‘Cars and parks don’t mix’ - campaigners call for removal of cars from Leamington park

The Friends of Victoria Park campaign group has already gathered almost 2,000 signatures on a petition to persuade Warwick District Council to re-think its plan to use the park for parking and gazebos for more than a month over each summer from 2014.

Now they are asking for changes to be made from this year, after the group’s Facebook site has received many messages complaining about the vehicles in the park since the women’s event began two weeks ago.

One post read: “While taking my dog on its daily walk and using the pedestrian walk area, a car tried to leave the park via this route. Even though I waved at him to stop he still carried on. I had to stand in front of him to stop him.”

Another said: “I will deliberately avoid the park for the next couple of weeks. It is never safe to mix cars in areas where children play.”

Bridget Rendell of the Friends group said: “Cars and parks don’t belong together, no matter how carefully the traffic is managed.

“We are delighted that Leamington is hosting the tournament and welcome the visitors – but there are much better places to park their cars and caravans during the school holidays.”

A council spokeswoman said: “We are satisfied with the traffic management system we have in place and continue to frequently assess parking operations and access to and from the park.

“The council is aware of the concerns of the Friends and continues to engage with the group. We are continuing to look at options for caravans and cars in the park for the extended national championships in 2014.”

Those concerned about the issue can email [email protected]

For more on the campaign group, visit www.friendsofvictoriapark.co.uk