Residents on a street in Wollaton plagued by motorists lining the pavements with their cars have praised a new permit scheme. The mother of a 17-year-old who uses a wheelchair says life is now much safer for him as the road stands almost completely empty.
Wollaton west councillor Steve Battlemuch helped secure funding for a permit scheme in Parkside and nearby roads on the western side of Wollaton Hall and Deer Park. Residents say their streets had been plagued by parked cars, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic as people flocked to popular outdoor spaces.
The scheme has since been implemented and anyone without a permit who parks between the hours of 8am and 8pm will be fined. Some have praised the scheme, but others have condemned it as a problem for those visiting family members.
Bev Stack told Nottinghamshire Live her 17-year-old son, who has a disability, had been suffering due to the sheer number of parked cars on the street. She says he was forced to use the middle of the road as he could not get by parked cars on the pavement, making it dangerous.
She said: "I was all for it. We have got a disabled van because my son is disabled and we could never get out of our drive.
"My son was in a wheelchair at the time and the paths are shocking here anyway. When we got assessed to get him an electric wheelchair they could not believe how bad it was.
"It was just dangerous. . [The council] has been patrolling it very well. I have seen them."
Some residents say the scheme has been a problem for visiting family members. Concerns have also been raised as Nottingham City Council seeks to potentially add charges for permits as part of its new budget measures.
Sita Owen-Shaw, who grew up in Parkside and was visiting her mum with her son, Caleb, three, said it had proven a bit of a problem for residents who forget to provide visiting family members with a temporary permit. She added: "My mum voted for them to not have them.
"The majority of people who have been fined have been people visiting. At a push we can fit three cars on the drive but if we have a family gathering we have to borrow [permits] from the neighbours.
"It is less busy on the street but I think we have had more speeding because it is clear. There has always been a steady amount of people parking down here, but other people do not have that luxury of growing up here and I can appreciate I can walk to the park from here.
"When I go somewhere I look for free parking."
Councillor Battlemuch previously said: "The parking issue has been an ongoing discussion for six years. The issue about car parking in Wollaton is that the money that comes in helps pay to keep the park in good condition.
"I do not think that there is any major park across the country that does not have parking charges. Regular visitors can get an annual permit and it is very reasonable. The parking scheme was brought in at the request of the residents."
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