A town councillor has promised a crackdown on antisocial parking in Congleton after a resident described the behaviour of some drivers as “selfish” and “arrogant”.
Coun Suzy Firkin said a multi-agency enforcement operation was being planned to target hotspots where obstructive parking had become a persistent problem.
Police, civil enforcement officers and councillors will identify priority locations, with ticketing and direct approaches to drivers and businesses expected to form part of the campaign.
She said nuisance parking was one of the most frequent complaints she received and that rising car park charges introduced by Cheshire East had pushed more drivers to leave their vehicles on streets instead.
The pledge followed a strongly worded letter to the “Chronicle” from Congleton resident Julie Jervis, who said she had become “angry and frustrated” by the behaviour of drivers parking on pavements, blind bends, yellow lines and across private driveways.
She said the situation had worsened since parking charges were increased, with some motorists abandoning cars “just about anywhere” to avoid paying.
Mrs Jervis, whose husband has a Blue Badge, said disabled spaces were often taken by large vehicles whose owners “don’t want to get them scratched”.
She also described problems on her narrow cul-de-sac, where signs clearly stated “Private road no parking”.
A parked car recently prevented the bin lorry from accessing the street, leaving residents’ bins uncollected. She warned that emergency vehicles would also struggle to get through if cars continued to block the entrance.
Mrs Jervis urged drivers to think about the impact of their parking on residents, pedestrians and other road users.
She said: “I just wish these selfish people would realise what it is like to have a disability that necessitates having a blue badge, and what it means to need to park safely in a space where a premises is accessible to those who cannot walk far.”
Responding, Coun Firkin said she shared the concerns and agreed that antisocial parking had become worse.
She reminded drivers of the basic rules: not to park on double yellow lines, obstruct pavements, block dropped kerbs or stop within 10m of a junction.
She said responsibility for enforcement was split between police, civil parking officers and private operators, which often made it difficult for councillors to resolve issues quickly.
However, she said that a coordinated enforcement period was now being prepared.
Coun Firkin invited residents to suggest locations for inclusion in the operation via her town council email address, cllrsuzy.firkin@congleton-tc.gov.uk
(Photo: David Calvert / Dreamstime).
