Furious mum erupts over low traffic zone planters blocking ambulance from reaching 10-month old baby
A mum has expressed her fury after a set of low traffic zone planters blocked an ambulance from reaching her home.
Charli Panter had called 999 on New Years Eve after her ten-month-old daughter, Nola, began having a seizure.
However, the 34 year old was left shocked after the ambulance became stuck on the other side of planters installed to stop traffic.
Footage showed the moment that the ambulance approached the planter in Withington, Manchester, stopped and was forced to divert around the corner.
Footage showed the moment the ambulance stopped at the end of the road
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In the footage, paramedics can then be seen walking down the road, carrying medical equipment with them before the ambulance eventually arrives after a detour.
Now, Panter has slammed the LTN scheme, saying the paramedics shared her annoyance at the instillation.
She said: "Nola was burning hot and then she started having a seizure in my arms, she was shaking and rigid. My partner, Nick, called 999 as her lips turned blue and she was silent - we were terrified.
"I know seizures can be damaging so the longer it was going on the worse effects we feared. It never occurred to me we'd need to direct the ambulance on how to navigate around the planters. The paramedics said it was a nightmare getting to the house because of it.
"We have questioned how emergency services would know to travel around the estate (after the filters were installed) but we just never thought it might be to get to us."
The ambulance was unable to park outside her home on Arnfield Road, Manchester
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In August, nine junctions on the Hartley estate in Withington, where Panter lives, were fitted with plant boxes as part of a six-month trial for an Active Neighbourhood project to improve road safety and encourage walking and cycling.
One local, Gordon Thompson said: "You created a solution to a problem that didn't exist. We have the council taking advantage of a green theme that has in fact increased travel and emissions for residents and created "choke points" on main roads."
A spokesman for North West Ambulance Service said they had not received "any internal reports of concerns around this incident through our official reporting systems.
"However, communication and satellite navigation systems in Greater Manchester's ambulances are currently being upgraded as part of a national programme, which will allow permanent road changes to be updated more frequently.'"
A spokesman for Manchester City Council said: "Since the trial changes were introduced in Withington in August 2023 there have been anecdotal reports of emergency services not being able to directly access streets as a result of traffic filters.
"Speaking directly with representatives in the emergency services during this trial we have not been made aware of any serious concerns regarding their ability to access properties in the area.
"Changes to Satnav maps have been accelerated via TfGM to ensure all motorists were provided updated routes which avoided closed off streets. Updated information was showing on Google Maps by October 2023.
"This Safer Streets scheme is, at its core, designed with everyone in mind but it will often require vehicles to take an alternative route. However, the council strongly believes the benefits seen through its implementation far outweigh the temporary inconvenience during implementation."