'˜My fear is someone is going to die' - concerns about illegal parking on estate

Yvonne Clarke said Wellington Gardens has experienced a steady increase in incidents of antisocial parking, with cars blocking driveways and cars left on pavements and grass verges, forcing people, including the elderly and disabled, to walk in the road.

She said: “My disabled daughter, who has a walker, has to walk down the middle of the road over the potholes and is scared she is going to be hit by a car speeding up here.”

Neighbour Vicki Wheatley added: “There are a number of disabled residents who use mobility scooters and electric wheelchairs that find it very hard to negotiate the parked cars on either sides of the narrow road.

“Due to all the extra traffic in the Gardens, the road itself is in an appalling state and could do with resurfacing. I believe this was last done back in the 1970s if the back of my mind is correct.”

Simone Dodgson, who has lived in Wellington Gardens for just over six years, said: “There is a significant problem with parking around here.

“Many people park up who either don’t live here or are not visiting residents here.

“The cars quite often are dangerously parked.

“Inconsiderate parking has at times stopped rubbish removal vans from accessing the rubbish bins.

“This problem seems to have worsened particularly over the last six months.”

All expressed concerns that poor parking could hamper access for emergency service vehicles.

Yvonne said: “I even said in an email to Highways and Rother to get their heads together before a child dies, people on mobility scooters get hurt or there is a fire and the emergency services cannot get through.”

She added: “It’s been building up over the years and now it’s got so bad it’s beyond a joke.

“Something is going to happen because people are really at the end of their tether.