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Bath residents say they cannot use parking bays they pay for because theatre bollards are preventing them from doing so.

Paul Roles and other Rosewell Court residents pay £99 a year for residents' parking in Monmouth Street.

He says residents are now resigned to the fact that bollards will be in place on Monmouth Street between Friday night and Monday morning - which they say prevents half a dozen cars from being parked there.

This is because Bath and North East Somerset Council and Theatre Royal Bath have an agreement so lorries can arrive and park to unload equipment for plays and other productions.

(Image: Paul Roles)

When a lorry arrives for a drop-off, the bollards are removed. The lorry slowly heads into the theatre's designated HGV bay, before heading inside the building.

The bollards are then put back up, meaning residents cannot park there.

However, Mr Roles says the trucks are now arriving on a Thursday and leaving as late as a Tuesday. He says he has complained to the council many times but is yet to receive a response.

"When a truck is ready to go into the lorry bay for the theatre, they take the bollards down and they put them in the trolley," he said.

"It backs up the road, it blocks the road for a long time and to get inside it mounts the pavement. If it is there for a long time, workers come out and put the bollards back up so nobody can park there.

(Image: Artur Lesniak/Reach)

"One night I had my car parked there. The police called me and said I needed to move my car for the bollards. I said I could not as I had been drinking so I could not move it.

"So the council cannot tow, the police won't tow unless it is obstructing the road, but as it was parked they cannot.

"This agreement that has been in place for years and it needs to be stuck to. They need to give us notice if they leave them up for a week.

"Sometimes they get two shows in a week so the bollards are left up for a long time. But we don't get told, they don't care about us.

"Because this is social housing they do what they want, thinking that they can get away with it.

"I said this is the last time I am emailing before I go to the press. I don't know why it has taken so long. It is absolutely ridiculous."

(Image: Paul Roles)

He says this problem occurred a few years ago but has recently become worse.

"Approximately three years ago they were doing the exactly the same thing. I asked why had they not been taken them down because the agreement was for Friday-Monday.

"All of a sudden one day they just disappeared. It has been fine up until about six weeks ago. A red car was parked where they put the bollards up.

(Image: Artur Lesniak/Reach)

"The car was stuck there for two weeks. They jacked it and moved it out.

"Since then the trucks have been coming out earlier and earlier and earlier. This week it was 8am on Thursday when the sign says Saturday. We understand they have stuff to do on Friday night but the problem is getting worse.

"I have called the council who have not responded to emails and calls. The council is not doing anything about it and is not sticking to the agreement."

(Image: Artur Lesniak/Reach)

A spokeswoman for Theatre Royal Bath said: "Without access to its scene dock, the Theatre Royal Bath would not be able to function. The temporary bollards are in place to ensure that lorries can drive into the scene dock, to load and unload scenery safely for productions staged at the Theatre Royal.

"One of the most important aspects of the Theatre Royal’s technical operation are the ‘Get Ins’ and ‘Get Outs’, which by necessity run to an extremely tight schedule.

"They are absolutely essential to the Theatre’s ability to deliver shows on time, and they must adhere to strict health and safety working practices, which protect not only Theatre Royal staff but also members of the public in the vicinity.

(Image: Artur Lesniak/Reach)

"Working closely with BANES, and trialling a number of ways to ensure essential access over many years, the Theatre Royal has established that it can only guarantee entry for production vehicles into its scene dock by installing bollards.

"We continue to work with B&NES Transport and Parking to ensure the smooth running of this system."

Bath Live contacted BANES for comment.

Got a view on this or another Bath story? Email richard.mills@reachplc.com with your photos, opinions and information.

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