Anger at new parking rules in Warwick

[dutchman]

A new enforcement policy on parking in two Warwick streets has led to a wave of anger and frustration from locals who find they’re often having to leave their cars up to half a mile from their front doors.

Neighbours Alma Jacques and Sean Allen, who live in Linen Street, both pay for annual permits that allow them to park in the surrounding area.

But as space is so tight, they and fellow residents of Linen Street and Cocksparrow Street were often able to make us of some of the unused spaces outside the district council flats over the road.

Tenants living in the flats hold a different type of permit, but tend not to need all their allocated spaces.

On Tuesday Mr Allen said: “New signs have gone up prohibiting us from using two tenants’ car parks which means some people simply can’t find a place to leave their vehicles while at the same time looking across at empty spaces outside the flats.

“There was no consultation about the enforcement of the regulations. In my opinion the council is simply not making efficient use of the car parking space at its disposal.

“For instance for the past five nights there have been no more than four vehicles in the Cocksparrow Street tenants’ car park.”

Alma Jacques added: “I am very unhappy about this sudden turn of events with the signs for no unauthorised vehicles going up. Parking has become harder and harder. Why has there been no consultation and some kind of compromise agreed for these unused council spaces?

On Wednesday Jameel Malik, the district council’s head of housing, promised the situation would be monitored and other options might be considered if the tenants’ parking area was not used to full capacity.

But he said: “It is the rents of the council tenants that fund the maintenance of these car parks and they should have the opportunity to access them.”