Call to protect pedestrians outside Tesco Express

A Warminster town councillor has called for action to tackle poor parking outside Tesco Express, warning it poses a risk to both drivers and pedestrians. 

Cllr Andrew Cooper says he frequently sees cars and vans parked on double yellow lines near Tesco Express on Thornhill Road, despite there being a small car park at the back of the store.

He said such parking blocks the road for drivers approaching the nearby roundabout, obstructs buses, and causes issues for pedestrians.

Cllr Cooper said, “A lot of the cars pull up onto the pavement itself. Just this morning, I saw a large car do that while the car park was almost completely empty. It’s illegal to park on the yellow lines, but it also leaves barely any space on the pavement. How is a mum with a buggy or an elderly person in a wheelchair expected to get past?

“This has been a problem ever since I moved to St Andrews Road, which was 11 years ago.”

Cllr Cooper has raised his concerns with Tesco, even calling their press office when he didn’t receive responses. He has called for bollards to be installed as a short-term solution and for Wiltshire Council to repaint the yellow lines to remind drivers of the parking restrictions.

He added, “I have written to Tesco repeatedly, especially after they spent a lot of money renovating the Warminster store at a time when many Tesco shops were closing across the country. Clearly, our Tesco Express makes a profit for them.

“I’ve explained that many people in this community are families with young children and elderly residents – that’s their demographic, and those are the people they should be protecting.

The safety of local people is my priority. I would like to see the council repaint the yellow lines, and Tesco could, as a short-term measure, install bollards to keep pedestrians safer.”

Parvis Khansari, Corporate Director for Place at Wiltshire Council, said, “The area outside of the Tesco Express on Thornhill Road is inspected regularly by our civil enforcement officers as part of their routine patrols. The re-painting of the yellow lines has been added to our schedule of works and will be completed as soon as we can.”

When contacted by the Warminster Journal, Tesco apologised for the delay in responding to Cllr Cooper, confirming it has now written to him. It said while the company aims to be a good neighbour and welcomes feedback, it notes that the area falls outside its boundary, and any physical changes, such as installing bollards, would be the responsibility of Wiltshire Council.