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Closing the upper part of car park a step nearer to end night-time anti-social behaviour misery

Night-time anti-social behaviour has brought misery for Midsomer Norton residents living next to South Road car park for years. Screeching tyres, loud music and revving engines – often into the early hours - cause untold problems.

Over recent months I’ve been working with residents to find solutions, holding a series of meetings with them; involving police and some of those responsible for the noise too.

The meetings, combined with numerous consultations, made it clear most people want the Council to close the upper part of the car park - closest to people’s homes - at night, denying entry to ‘boy racers’.

Residents who’ve been asking B&NES to act for at least two years said it felt like ‘banging their heads against a wall’.

So the Council’s new pledge to me – albeit overdue - to construct lockable gates, should bring the misery to an end.

All along I’ve said that, whilst the Council would consider costs of night-time closure, it’s local opinion that must drive decisions. Thankfully, following my representations on behalf of constituents, they’ve finally conceded the point. As long as B&NES honours its pledge, night-time closure is set to become a reality with changes due before the end of 2009.

Written for the Somerset Guardian September 2009

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