One issue that’s raised regularly with both the Parish and Borough Councils is the way our village is used as a free park and ride service on weekdays. Residents have reported that people from nearby villages are coming to Ruddington and leaving their cars on our streets and in our car parks whilst they travel to and from the city by bus. This means that people coming into the village to shop or use our other facilities can struggle to find a decent parking place – and this is bad news for local businesses.
Perhaps a two hour parking restriction could be introduced for visitors to the village, and permits issued to residents so they don’t have to pay. Or maybe an additional Park & Ride service is the answer, perhaps based at Rushcliffe Country Park. Better transport links from surrounding villages would also help, so people living there feel less need to use ours.
Whatever the end solution, with our infrastructure already facing overload, something needs to be done to encourage these ‘park and riders’ to use more appropriate facilities.
(Researched & written by Faye Stenson)