A bankrupt municipality has come under fire for spending tens of thousands of pounds on parklets designed in the US that resemble “naff sun loungers on a random strip of decking.”
Many have called the tiny sitting places, which cost Lincolnshire County Council £60,000, a “dangerous eyesore” and a “waste of public money.”
Others said that the “sun lounger on some random decking” was “baffling” and “not in keeping” with the Georgian architecture of the town.
The sitting platforms installed in Louth, Lincolnshire are typical across the country and were inspired by San Francisco, where parking spots are turned into “vibrant communal areas.”
US-style parklets (pictured above) are estimated to have set back Lincolnshire County Council £60,000 as locals slam the scheme as a ‘dangerous eyesore’ and a ‘waste of taxpayers’ cash’
But they have faced strong opposition from locals living in Louth who have accused the council of ‘losing the plot’ and branded them ‘hideous’ and ‘a joke’.
Taxi driver Harry Bolton, 48, of Louth, said: ‘Everybody is just gobsmacked at how ridiculously bad they look. It’s a complete waste of taxpayers’ money.
‘But on top of that they cannot be safe. They are sticking out into one of the busiest roads in the town and there’s no protection from traffic.
‘Not only that, who wants to lie on a wooden sunlounger in the middle of a town centre while inhaling fumes from passing traffic?
‘I haven’t picked up one passenger who thinks they are a good idea. The council are completely out of touch with what people want.
‘This is not the USA, we are a historic Georgian town in BritaSin and they just look rubbish and are not in keeping with the area.
‘And that’s before you take into consideration the safety issues. Somebody could get seriously hurt or worse.’
The move also faced opposition from councillors who said the ‘modern seating’ clashes with the strict rules within Louth’s Conservation Area.
A recent public meeting saw around 250 people vote almost unanimously in favour of calling on the council to halt the scheme – which aims to promote cycling and walking.
Louth Town and District Councillor Andrew Leonard said: ‘This latest initiative really is the last straw, who on earth wants to sit by a roadside with cars, vans, buses and delivery vehicles passing within feet?
“The county government is absolutely out of touch and has not listened to what the populace wants for its town center.”
On social media, other members of the public swamped community sites with critical comments.
I’m at a loss for words, said Kerry Ashby, proprietor of a coffee business. Except joke, not in accordance with Georgian conservation order, what an outrageous waste of public dollars.
Hmm, not at all persuaded by this Louth Town Council, commented Sophie Vines. A sun lounger on some haphazard decking in a medieval market town* left me perplexed.
I’m not sure whether I would like to lie down next to a busy road in the midst of town, Ingrid Ashton remarked. Also afraid that kids may tumble over the ledge and into oncoming traffic?
They must have utterly lost the plot, Elaine Hewson said. Jenny Spece said, “Why? Who is going to sit there when they put this out at the end of the summer?
What an awful ugliness, observed Louise Pilcher. That can’t be secure or good for you.
How does this inspire cyclists? Bike riders will have to weave in and out of these parklets, which must make it more hazardous to ride around town.
Looks like they were at a loss for what to do with a leftover £50 B&Q coupon, said Dave Crane.
In accordance with the Active Travel Scheme, which is supported by the government, alternative possibilities are being tested, according to councillor Richard Davies, executive member for roads at the authority.
According to the local residents that spoke with him, the parklets are generally a good concept and will be utilized as planned.
There is obviously a lot of support in Louth and across Lincolnshire for finding new ways to get about and use our high streets.
The government has given this money so that people may try out fresh concepts and methods in an effort to improve things.
These are the most recent components of the market town’s continuous trial run towards a sustainable future.
Parklets are put into parking spaces and extend the pavement out onto the street
During the epidemic, the tables were quite popular in London, although many drivers do not like them.
“We are experimenting with several strategies to discover which one encourages visitors to stay longer, fully appreciate, and use the businesses and services Louth has to offer.
We recognize that these parklets are rather divisive, but throughout the course of our installation, we saw firsthand a very balanced distribution of opinions and support about the overall plan and the parklets in particular.
‘During the course of the installation, we saw a number of groups of people utilising the parklets as soon as they could, with some returning to them during the course of the evening to take advantage of having a place to sit and relax before continuing their night out in the town.
“We are open to any comments on both this component and the overall 18-month trial strategy for Louth,” the statement said.
We are continually evaluating what works and what needs a little tweaking here and there since it is a trial, so we are aware that certain aspects are highly fluid.
‘Parklets,’ which provide companies with additional room for clients living under pandemic limitations, gradually replaced parking spots throughout the pandemic in 2020.
The newest example of how their rights are being reduced by local government, cautioned motorists, is parklets.
As overreaching authorities like the Labour Mayor of London and Lewisham Council endorse the effort, drivers are saying that parklets are the latest example of how their rights are being curtailed.
Hugh Bladon, the founder of the motorist advocacy organization Alliance of British Drivers, told MailOnline in 2020: “Councils all throughout the nation, the one thing they despise is anyone driving the automobile or any form of four-wheeled vehicle.”
They will take any and all measures to make driving as unpleasant as they can.
“The issue in London is definitely chronic and is spreading to other places.”
We have a problem since the construction of these parklets has paralyzed certain neighborhoods.
“Because of all of this, the emergency vehicles cannot do their operations as they should.” People are going to pass away as a result of this.
“In my opinion, the councillors that did this have blood on their hands if it occurs.
“We have waged a robust battle against them.” How in the world do you get these things out again after you get them in? It will take a strong person to say, “Put our roads back to normal,” but it must be done since the whole situation is nuts.
The issue with parklets is identical to that with the boxes and barriers put up in Low Traffic Neighborhoods.
Some households have protested them due to the congestion they have produced.
After complaints from residents and business owners in the tiny town of Fife, the council decided to build new “obtrusive” roadway barriers and remove the old ones.
For constructing barriers in congested town and city centers, authorities throughout the UK have come under criticism.
In order to encourage other modes of transportation, the London Mayor’s £33 million Low Traffic Neighbourhood has constructed cycling lane segregation and barred turning at key crossroads.
The additional lanes were installed to encourage individuals to bike to work by providing them with extra space and to relieve some of the strain on public transportation in light of concerns about social isolation problems on the buses and the Underground.
West London’s Hammersmith and Fulham Council has received complaints from motorists who were given £130 penalties for using domestic roads in a Thames-adjacent neighborhood.