Residents and councillors in Willaston are calling on home builders to resolve parking problems on a new development.
Villagers say vehicles being parked on grass verges on the new Meadow View development are leaving the verges “unsightly” and causing an “eyesore”.
Others complain that non residents are clogging up the road.
Meadow View resident Kerry Dennis said: “The non-permitted vehicles are causing severe problems.
“Sometimes the vehicles can be very awkwardly parked and can prevent residents from entering and exiting with ease onto Wistaston Road.”
Willaston and Rope ward Cllr Brian Silvester is calling on developer Thomas Jones & Sons to resolve the parking problems before it is adopted by Cheshire East Council.
He said: “The developers need to take action to prevent vehicles cutting up the grass verges when they park on them and to stop non residents taking up the parking places of residents.
“This relatively new development of good quality private housing is being made to look unsightly due to thoughtless parking by a few.
“Parking generally in the centre of Willaston is a major problem. Wistaston Road is the main narrow road through the village, with rows of terraced houses, many of which have no off road parking.
“This was an issue raised by Willaston Parish Council and others when the planning application for the Meadow View development was submitted, but unfortunately the planning department chose to ignore the substantial objections and approve the development.
“Some of the residents have suggested some of the grass verges could be removed to provide more parking space. Also a ‘residents only parking’ scheme could be considered.”
I fail to see how this is severly affecting the residents of Meadow View directly. All the properties have ample parking, such as lovely driveways to accommodate multiple cars and some also have equally lovely garages. The verges aren’t visible to the majority of the houses, maybe just the end house…at a push….if you’ve your specs on or have 20/20 vision. This is not a gated private community, or have I missed something? Do the residents pay a grounds charge or a maintenance fee? If so, then they’re quite right! Fence off the verges, erect a gate, remove the rif raf!
The closest here to a fair point it that the grass verges can, on occasion, become marginally (very marginally) unsightly during the winter months but hardly offensive!
I have never seen any vehicles awkwardly parked, and certainly would never be as dramatic to say it causes “severe” problems! I’ve never even seen anyone have to so much as give way to an oncoming vehicle down Meadow View, nor have I ever seen anyone struggle to exit onto Wistaston Road, ever. Hardly the Krypton Factor type negotiation of parked cars that Wistaston road itself has become!
The comment “good quality private housing is being made to look unsightly” is, I find, a little harsh. Are the houses surrounding Meadow View not good quality? Do the Wistaston Road reprobates and ne’er-do-wells in their humble homes deserve to have these terrible unsightly vehicles and “severe problems” instead of the charming Meadow View residents?
The “NIMBY” notes you can see being left on cars are causing the poor intimidated owners to pile their cars up elsewhere and park illegally. They’re blocking drives on Wistaston Road, parking over the mini roundabout. Thus causing a poor bus driver to get hemmed in and have to honk his horn at half past 10 at night until the culprit came to the front door hurling abuse at the bus driver (waking half the street and causing them the appear at their windows in their nightwear – or lack of – due to the commotion, It was nobody’s finest moment I can assure you!) until they admitted defeat and moved their car…to Meadow view, clearing the bus route and allowing residents to retreat back to their beds! We affectionately recall the night of busgate now and again! Cars are parking down Orchard Street, properly blocking access to the residents – like actually stopping them, not just causing offense to the verges – opposite the Orchard Street junction with Wistaston Road, causing residents to have to do a 3 point turn to exit and enter the road – an actual problem, verging on severe!
The residents of Meadow View really need to see the bigger picture here and take into account the terrible parking in the rest of the village and count themselves lucky they have sufficient private parking, with their good quality private housing that is some distance round the corner from the grass verge or scandalous eyesore that they pass with fleeting glance!
It does not take a genius to work out that if you make new homes, the residents will have cars, drives or not they will park as near as possible to where they live. The Local authority need to take more notice of objections from locals, as the authority clearly can’t anticipate the result of their planning decisions. I bet the developer said that the road width and parking was adequate, and the Council rubber stamped it over a nice cup of tea. I Pity for the nearby blighted locals who no doubt will have to endure the problem with little hope of a decent resolution. Take a drive round any of the newer estates: You will notice one, two or three cars per property on the path, and verges as the properties often do not have sufficient land to park. Looks a right mess, no joy walking or cycling and a real hazard to all. That’s planning for you.