The Willow Brook Centre’s car park in Bradley Stoke has been awarded the ‘Park Mark‘ Safer Parking Award for the second year in a row.
Park Mark is an initiative of Chief Police Officers aimed at reducing crime in public parking areas, a very welcome initiative as nationally, vehicle crime accounts for a high percentage of all crime (up to 20%), and it is estimated that 22% of vehicle crime occurs in parking areas [Ref: Home Office Study 266].
For Bradley Stoke shoppers, using a registered Park Mark Safer Parking car park means that the area has been vetted by the Police and has measures in place in order to create a safe environment designed to deter criminal activity and anti-social behaviour.
Scott Lahive, Centre Manager at the Willow Brook Centre, said:
“We are delighted to retain this nationally recognised award.”
“We have been monitored over the past year and in addition to safety, security and surveillance criteria we are judged on boundaries and access for vehicles and pedestrians, lighting, cleanliness and signage.”
Source: Press release by the Willow Brook Centre
Related link: Crime statistics for your local area (Police)
Mrs Churchill will not agree the pain that is transferred from those humps to her bad neck has made us avoid Tescos and the shopping centre as much as possible!
She believes it should have been the Pain in the Neck award!!
Couldn’t they rename the award to low crime car park? Safe Car Park award implies that it’s safe to walk from your car to the shops, which it isn’t for the majority of spaces in the Willow Brook Centre!
Agree with Flurfy Chicken. I tend to park at the furthermost spaces just because I can’t be bothered with the competition for spaces and having someone else park an inch away from your door (parking far away tends to resolve that) but I don’t know how many times I see drivers not stop at the zebra crossing (Some can be heard to be speeding up as they approach, even as you are just getting to the edge of the road) whilst those that do stop are already pulling off as you pass them but before you have navigated the crossing.
What about the new huge sign that appeared a few months ago as you pull out of the car park near pound stretcher? It obscures you view when you pull out of the junction and have had a couple of near misses. I cannot be the only one. Needs reviewing and moved. That will make the car park safer.
Concur with LuckyStar’s comment surely Tescos should have carried out a risk assessment when placing that sign on a junction.
Concur with flurfy chicken and Dave W comments as well.
Yes i agree it wont be long before the placement of that sign causes an accident. You cannot see cars approaching and people are taking risks already. Why do we need anymore signs anyway isn’t there enough?
While we are on the subject of Tesco Car Park why don’t they stop cars (taking short cuts i presume) turning right into the junctions before the right bend on the way into the car park it just causes tail backs all the way down the access road.
Low crime is great but the safety of pedestrians is poor. If you can’t park near the wide walk-ways then you have to push your trolley in the flow of traffic.
There aren’t enough pavements and not enough trolley parks. If you end up in the wrong row there is no safe way to walk between rows.
The design of the car park is probably the worst I’ve seen.
The crime rate is low because criminals prefer a safer working environment.
far too many disabled and kid spaces if you ask me, quite often they are half empty.
I have no problem with the amount of disabled spaces, but the spaces marked for children are ridiculous and I will continue to park in them as and when I please.
And move that monstrosity of a sign at the top of the access road by Pets At Home that blocks the view of the oncoming traffic from the right on the main access road. It is dangerous to all involved. When you do that I’ll stop driving down the middle of the road avoiding the speed humps.