Problems continue around the closed supermarket in Bow

7.37.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Sun 14th Oct 2007

Sorry, you'll just have to get your wheelchair around the van!

The long-running saga of the closed supermarket in Roman Road, Bow continues to cause problems for local residents. As well as the inconvenience of not having a supermarket, the uncontrolled parking at the rear of the site is making life difficult for disabled and elderly residents.

Meeting with local residents Margaret and Audrey, Cllr Stephanie Eaton was shown the yellow boxes which are supposed to provide a safe crossing place for wheelchair users, parents with buggies and older people using walking aids. Cllr Eaton commented "I saw for myself the chaos and illegal parking occurring in the supermarket carpark. There are flagrant breaches of the parking regulations which are not being enforced. This means that local people are having difficulty in accessing the Roman Road. It's frustrating enough that the supermarket is closed and people can't easily and cheaply buy food, but the car park is completed unregulated. It's like the wild west with a lot of cowboy parking going on." Local people say that they have tried to find out who has responsibility for the car park but no-one seems to want to admit to ownership and control of the space.

A petition is being circulated by local residents to complain at the apparent lack of interest of Tower Hamlets Council to calls for a supermarket in the area. Cllr Eaton told residents she will try and find out who owns the space and who is responsible for managing the parking.