FOR the past five years, I have helped to organise the Fairford & Lechlade Food & Drink Festivals and, every year, we have had problems with vehicles left in the Market Places despite having a legal Temporary Road Closure Order (TRO) in place.

At one time, these licences were free and were issued by Cotswold District Council but, last year, Glos County Council became responsible for them and brought in a charge of £115 for each one.

What I would like to know is how can these TROs be enforced? When I arrived in Lechlade Market Place at 5.30am last Sunday morning there were four vehicles parked there, three of them grouped around the “CLOSED” sign that I had put up a few days beforehand. When I phoned the police with the registration numbers of the vehicles, I was told that there were registered out of county and, therefore, the police could not do anything. I asked if the police could tow them away as they were illegally parked and was told “no”. I do realise that parking enforcement is the responsibility of Cotswold District Council, but I don’t think any council enforcement officer would have been working at 5.30am on a Sunday morning.

So my question is: what is the point of paying £115 for a Temporary Road Closure Order when anyone can ignore it and the order does not protect community event organisers from having vehicles parked illegally? Incidentally, there is a two-hour parking restriction between 8am and 6pm in force every day on Lechlade Market Place, so even without a TRO, these vehicles were illegally parked.

CHRIS ROBERTS

Fairford & Lechlade Business Club