Tamworth Curtiss Close: no parking sign predicament could cause issues for Oxley Community Transport, businesses

Curtiss Close, a cul-de-sac in the Taminda industrial estate, was built too narrow for the large vehicles expected to travel along it - and now volunteers and businesses could pay the price.

The Tamworth Regional Council traffic committee has suggested councillors ban parking on both sides of the street and put up a parking lot on Britten Road.

Oxley Community Transport just opened its new headquarters on Curtiss Close, and board vice chairman Ray Tait said there was no contact from the council about no parking signs on both sides of the street.

"Quite frankly with the number of people we have as volunteers, parking is in short supply," he said.

"Had we known this is what they wanted to do in the first place there's a distinct possibility we wouldn't have purchased the block.

"The council had a problem and their solution to the problem is to create another problem for everybody else except council."

A council spokesperson said it hadn't yet approved the recommendation and would consider it further after hearing Oxley Community Transport's position.

"The matter will be reviewed again after further discussions with Oxley community group. It is expected to be brought back to the local traffic committee in February 2022," she said.

A number of councillors were clearly unimpressed by the proposal when the issue came before them at a recent meeting.

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Cr Glenn Inglis said the traffic committee was asked to find other alternatives to the headache.

"At the absolute minimum there should be some opportunity as part of that cul-de-sac at least on one side of the road in a particular section to have some parking," he said.

"To not look at that and look at that in a way where we're trying to be positive and provide that would be a real failing on our part."

Cr Russell Webb agreed and said the council couldn't take away the right to park in an industrial area.

"At a minimum, it's a botch-up that that street is too narrow, but we have to have parking on one side of the street," he said.

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