Beaconsfield councillors may consider installing post on zebra crossing to stop drivers using it as parking space on London End

Councillors debated the issue with PC William Ranford, from Beaconsfield neighbourhood policing team, at a meeting of the community safety committee last week.

Cllr John Read said that living and working in the Old Town, he sees people using zebra crossings as spaces often.

He said: “It dips for a little bit but then a different group of people decide it is another parking space, particularly the one outside Knights.

“101 is not the answer. People aren’t going to spend all their time reporting.”

Councillor Alex Dunlop, who says he sees vehicles parking on the crossing every day, said the council should be looking at ways to prevent people parking on the crossing in the first place, instead of “wasting police time” getting the vehicles towed away.

He said: “Watching these tow lorries manoeuvring into place on London End, they are very efficient and it is all very well, but really we should be looking at something small to stop this, perhaps it is a handrail to help people cross or a single post, or a tree put there.

“It is all very well prosecuting these people but let’s stop them being able to park there in the first place instead of trying to fine them or blocking up traffic trying to get them removed.

“It takes up [police] time and resources. Let’s think of a simple way of stopping this.

“Beaconsfield is a great, great town and people come here from everywhere, but I can guarantee that I see a vehicle park there every day and I am not going to spend my time calling you because you would be there every day. ”

PC Ranford said that while police continue to recover vehicles parked on the crossing, it ties up police officers because they have to stay while they are towed away, which can sometimes “take an hour.”

He said: “Our powers in regards to parking have been effectively taken away. Endorsable offences are on the black and white patches or the white zig zags. Parking on the raise service is not parking on the controlled zone of the zebra crossing.

“My instinct is to give the person we are about to give a ticket to the benefit of the doubt. Often it is words of advice, a couple of months ago people reported things to us months after the incident, we sent out letters.

“If it’s a vehicle we catch there and then we can take some sort of prosecution against the driver. In most cases they are more than willing to move and not return.”

Cllr Anita Cranmer agreed with fellow councillors that a preventative measure like a “post or a small tree” should be considered.