Princes Bridge - yet more obstructions

Ok, you're probably getting sick of this one by now.

I certainly am

It seems Creative England's NE person, Bobby Cochrane thinks he may have solved this problem, but quite frankly the film crews using the bridge couldn't give a shit.

This was the latest version of the road closure...



Bikes were, yet again, being directed down the pavement, but today they added the extra insult of parking a van and a car on the very same pavement.



Notice how the pathetic little sign directs bikes up the narrow gap.



This use of the pavement wasn't a one-off.

In the afternoon the pavement was being used to park two different vehicles.





Neither of which needed to be on the pavement.

I wonder if Salford Council and Sustrans know about this yet...

Bedlam 2 on Princes Bridge

Further Update

A look round the Creative England web site reveals that they are indeed responsible for the film units using this bridge as a film unit base site. This means that the bridge is being used in place of a car park or private land.


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Update

Complaints to the council were passed on to Creative England who seem to be responsible for this situation. It seems that my initial hypothesis was right and the permits did not allow the obstruction of the highway:-

Jonathan has apologised to me and has already telephoned the security team who are down at the bridge today to get this issue resolved. I have informed him of the National Cycle Network (Route 6) and the need to leave a clear access channel on the road for cyclists to use at all times. With them having the double yellow line dispensation on either side of the road, this access channel will be down the centre. As you know, Princess Bridge is a dead end so no through traffic will be driving on the bridge.

The vehicles are scheduled to remain at the bridge until Friday 3rd Feb and the location manager has instructed the security team to leave this clear access channel for cyclists at all times and to not be forcing them to use the pavement. Jonathan is also aware that they do not have a road closure order for Princess Bridge so I have told him to remove the tape immediately and any associated traffic management equipment that may give this impression.

Just for your info, the parking requests go direct to Manchester Parking as there are payments to be made directly by the production company. Whereas I do include parking information on my filming applications, this is more to do with a productions technical parking at a filming location and not the unit base information, which is what Princess Bridge is being used for. To be honest, unit bases tend to be within private car parks or private sections of land but it appears that Princess Bridge is providing a good option for productions but I do understand the need to keep the National Cycle Network (Route 6) open.

As Graham has stipulated below and I have reiterated to the location manager, vehicles must not be parked in a manner which could obstruct or inconvenience other road users, which on this occasion has been the cyclists. Hopefully now Princess Bridge is operating in a satisfactory manner for the cyclists but please let me know if this changes at any point.

Lets just say that a narrow channel between caravans, crossed by cables carrying mains electricity and crew who don't realise they are crossing a road is far from satisfactory.
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This morning a film crew encampment had completely closed the road on Princes Bridge. Not only had the caravans and other crap been parked up both sides of the road, but the road had been closed with tape.



This was pushing cyclists onto the pavement.



A quick check of the vehicles, before the security guard got too close, revealed that the encampment is for a production called "Bedlam 2" and there were no parking permits on any of the vehicles. Bedlam is a Sky (i.e. News International) production, and Sky couldn't give a shit about cycling!

An email has been sent to the local councillor, and if that doesn't reveal whether this is illegal obstruction then a FoI request may follow....

Princes Bridge - more film crew vehicles.

It seems that the council is quite happy to let film crews use Princes Bridge, National Cycle Network Route 6, as a camp site.



This travelling actor's camp is a regular site on this bridge. One can only assume that this is free parking for the ITV studios.



Clearly the council couldn't care less about this being a busy cycle route...

Blockage on Princes Bridge - NCN 6

Normally it looks like this



but today it had become a camp site full of caravans.



National Cycle Network Route 6 has become a camp site for what looks like a film unit.

I have emailed our local city centre councillor to find out who in the council gave permission to obstruct a busy cycling and walking route without any notice or public consultation being posted on the route.

This camp site could have been set up in the car park next to this bridge, but presumably it was cheaper to obstruct the cycle route.

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Update:

Later that evening there was also a car parked across the end of the row of caravans which must have been driven up the pavement to get there.

The following day it was clear that most people ended up cycling along the pavement rather than try and stick to the road up between the caravans.



It was also clear from the permits on the vehicles that they did not have permission to close the road.



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Update:

I have now received a response from the council's parking manager via my local councillor Kevin Peel

We have spoken to the Film Unit Manager, who has apologised if they were obstructing any access, although they consider they were not parked in a manner which was blocking the cycle lane.

We did receive a request from the Filming Unit to park vehicles and they did apply for a dispensation. The Dispensation has strict criteria that vehicles must not be parked in a manner which could obstruct or incontinence other road users.

It is evident that the vehicles are parked on the bridge over the river Irwell which is the boundary between Manchester and Salford. As soon as you made us aware of this issue we contact the film crew advising them of the complaint received, requesting they park in a manner that does not obstruct others, including the cycle lane, and issued them with a warning that the Dispensation to park could be withdrawn.

Filming at this location has now finished, however, should we receive any further requests we will highlight the need to park correctly at this location.

And by the Friday morning the place looked more or less back to its normal state, even including the regular dozing taxi driver who used to park blocking the path, but has now been persuaded by passing cyclists touse the other side of the road.





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