Trouble has been brewing in a quiet corner of Oldham where a driver was left 'shaken' by a note. The spotlight has fallen on Radcliffe Street, in Royton, this week after a 'threatening' letter was left on a car parked outside someone's home.
The note, which urged the driver to 'refrain from taking valuable parking spaces outside my home', was shared on a local Facebook group and has since received national attention. But on Radcliffe Street this morning (May 23), residents told the Manchester Evening News how parking has divided people in the area.
"It's always been a problem with parking," said one resident, who had lived at the same property for almost 40 years. He was one of a number of residents who explained how for some, parking problems have increased since new homes were built on part of the street.
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Following the demolition of an old mill, new homes have been built on one side of the street, near to Royton Park. Before those homes were built, residents were able to park their cars on both sides of the street.
Now, residents say cars are often parked on both sides of the road, even though the new houses have driveways. The resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "They've got driveways, but most of them have more than two cars.
"I'm not bothered, I don't have a car myself." While parking disputes are fairly common, there are no rules to stop people parking outside your home where there are no restrictions or dropped kerbs.
One resident told the M.E.N.: "We've got one vehicle and it's nice when you can get your car parked outside your house, but I wouldn't cause trouble over it. People can park wherever they want.
"I hope [the driver who received the note] takes it further, to be honest. They could have left a nicer note. It's about being nice, isn't it."
But some residents say if they can't park outside their homes on Radcliffe Street, they struggle to find a gap elsewhere. A woman in her 60s, who struggles with a bad back, said: "When everybody has visitors, they tend to park in my space.
"I can't walk far, I need to keep my car outside my house all the time." Another neighbour added: "It's a problem. If someone's in your space when you get home, there's now nowhere else to park, it's causing an issue."
When the M.E.N. spoke to residents on Radcliffe Street, there was plenty of space available for parking, but neighbours insisted both sides of the street can fill up. One resident said: "If you need an ambulance to go down, you're struggling.
"It's an accident waiting to happen. I think everyone is feeling the same. We've got two cars here but it's two spaces. There's a house with four cars, so people are struggling."
One resident, who lives in a new-build property on the street, acknowledged the issue had caused a divide among some neighbours. He said: "I think the people across the road, they were happy being able to park their cars here [before the houses were built]."
The viral note was shared anonymously on Facebook, after it was left on their mother-in-law's car on Saturday. The note read: "Tin opener available at 81 or 83. Next time you need to leave your car for more than a couple of hours, pay for a car park and refrain from taking valuable parking spaces outside my home!!
"Next time the can opener may not be so forthcoming." In response, the poster said: "Disappointed to share this was found on my mother-in-law’s car today on Radcliffe Street.
"This person has no idea of the circumstances around the reason for parking there, however this is irrelevant as the road is not owned by either of these properties. She is fairly shaken and now is worried about where to park when this was perfectly legal and reasonable.
"If anyone has suffered any criminal damage this may enlighten them as to where it’s come from, obviously cannot be sure. Please ensure you move to a house with a parking space if you need to park close to your home, and refrain from writing threatening letters."
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