Giant weeds take over car park

RESIDENTS in Wedmore are petitioning to the parish council about giant weeds in the village public car park. Lawrence Smith, of Cheddar Road, says he has tried cutting down the weeds himself, but was told by the parish council to stop. He is now putting together a petition to get the council to cut down the weeds in the car park off Cheddar Road, which he claims are over 5ft high. He said: "I live right next to the entrance of the car park and several times I have gone there myself to cut the weeds and thistles down. But the council told me to leave it alone. The last time they did anything about it was November."I am getting residents to sign the petition to get the council to cut them back. I don't see why people should suffer. The parish council is quick to write to people and send letters when they have overhanging brambles over the footpaths, but they cannot even look after their own land."Lawrence has lived in his house for over seven years, before the £200,000 car park was built in April 2006. After it was built, residents complained about the brightness of the overhead lights and the small number of motorists using it.Lawrence said: "I thought it was a waste of money at the time. No-one uses it because they all just park in the village. I think about four cars use it and young lads park in it in their sports cars."Grandmother Marian Wilds, who lives in Worthington Close which backs onto the car park, said: "The parish council should cut down the weeds at the back. They are now higher than my fence and weakening it. Some weeds are growing through to my garden. It is diabolical. "We pay high council charges so why should we be treated this way?"Wedmore Parish Council chairman John Sanderson said: "If people report problems to us we will deal with it. Anyone can phone the council clerk and talk to us about it. We cannot walk around the village 24 hours a day looking for problems, but if people phone us, we will happily to deal with it.