New bollard on Palace Road

At the end of January a new bollard appeared on Palace Road, just outside the Palace Road Nature Garden. It is beside the gate that blocks the road to motor traffic, but obstructs wide cycles (such as tricycles), mobility scooters and wheelchairs.

What is it for? We asked the council and they replied that someone had been driving a Smart car through this gap, leading to complaints by “a number of” residents – hence the new bollard. As for non-motorised road users who can’t get through the gap any more, they are advised by the council to “use the footpath running parallel”. This may well be illegal, of course.