'A metallic crunch against the bollard'

Michael Daniels, Sparrows Herne, Bushey Heath, writes:

On July 17, 2021, I drove my Lexus CT200 along Church Row towards the High Street.

As I approached the width restriction adjacent to the church, I suddenly heard a metallic crunch as my near-side front wing was caught by the steel bollard and severely damaged.

Having driven through this restriction on previous occasions, until I read the article and saw the photographs in your newspaper on the number of vehicles being damaged at this point, I was not aware of the recent changes in the positioning of the bollard so it is hardly surprising that I too was a victim of this action which is proving extremely costly.

Needless to say I will be taking the matter up with the council.

Bollards

Ham & High: Planters restricting traffic to Queen's Crescent marketPlanters restricting traffic to Queen's Crescent market (Image: Mick Farrant)

Mick Farrant, full address provided, writes:

Your headline last week “Never move the bollards” was an instruction taken up by Camden Council some 20 years ago in Queen’s Crescent.

It installed two sets of rising traffic bollards at a reported total cost of £250,000. The supposed purpose was to keep vehicles out of the street market. But they never moved.

Now we have another scheme closing off the crescent 24/7 without bollards, only planters and camera, which levy fines on transgressing vehicle owners. The new and vigorously opposed scheme cost much less.

Of course the complete waste of money on the earlier scheme was “quietly forgotten” by local councillors.