Lockerbie Old School Board has written to people living in the Dryfe Road area informing them parking is no longer allowed on the grounds of the old school and bollards are to be installed next month.
The letter claims that due to a lack of maintenance on the property, there is a risk to vehicles and that continuing to park in the area after being advised not to may invalidate motorists’ insurance.
In the correspondence, acting project manager Jen Devery said: “The building has stood for some time now without any maintenance, the tarmac surface is in a very poor state and with winter upon us, we are conscious that the condition of the car park and the building will only continue to deteriorate until work commences next year.
“We have therefore been advised by our insurers that sadly, we can no longer allow any vehicles to be parked in the grounds.
“We understand that this has been a place where residents have parked their cars for some time, but as it is no longer owned by the council and we don’t want anyone’s vehicles damaged by parking there, we have no choice but to install bollards across the entrance.”
The work is planned for the end of January, but the letter added: “We appreciate that people may be having extra guests visiting them over the festive period and may have planned to use the car park.
“We ask, that until the bollards are installed, that you do not park in the old school car park.
“Not only will this potentially invalidate your insurance, but you would be doing so at your own risk and we don’t want anyone’s property coming to harm by doing so.”
Responding, Dryfe Road resident and former committee member, Helen Wright said: “I can understand that while actual work is being carried out, there is a safety issue and it would be commonsense not to park there, but the idea of adjacent residents having some sort of permit allow them to continue to park there was most definitely floated and agreed in principle in the past. Then suddenly that idea vanished.
“It’s the issue of parking that made me leave the group.”
