I am always pleased to meet with and support the charity Guide Dogs. I was delighted when they asked me to host a parliamentary reception late last year in Westminster Hall, where I spoke with other MPs about the importance of the organisation’s work, and had the opportunity to meet their staff, volunteers and puppies.
Previously I have taken part in events that Guide Dogs have organised locally, including putting on a blindfold to experience what it is like to be visually impaired and travel by bus, being guided around County Mall and Three Bridges with a cane, and walking with a guide dog.
These experiences only went to highlight the issue of pavement parking; where blind or partially-sighted people, as well as those in wheelchairs and pushing prams, find it difficult to walk when faced with a parked car blocking the pedestrian pathway.
In recent weeks I received assurances from the Department for Transport that they are to launch a consultation shortly on the regulations in this area, which will include consideration of alternative methods to tackle pavement parking.
Locally, we are seeing inadequate provision of parking spaces by the Labour-controlled Crawley Council. By addressing this issue the Borough could help reduce the demand to park on pavements.
A Conservative-controlled Crawley Borough Council has pledged to introduce a Better Neighbourhoods programme which would seek to improve our town’s grass verges, some of which we see permanently damaged as people seek to park their car near their home. Among the plans include consulting with local residents about putting tarmac over very small and permanently damaged grass verges of no amenity value.
There is much work to do, but only a Conservative-controlled Town Hall can provide the leadership to meet the challenges ahead.
Henry Smith MP