Fed-up villagers living close to an airport have slashed tyres and covered car windscreens in stickers in a protest against what they are dubbing ‘fly-parkers.’
Residents near Stansted airport in Essex say their lives are being blighted by motorists who dump their vehicles on their streets to avoid car park fees before flying abroad.
The raging park wars has recently come to a head with some taking their anger out on holiday-makers cars in the villages of Takeley and Canfield.
Cars parked near the no airport parking sign in North Road in Takeley, Essex near Stansted Airport. The raging park wars has recently come to a head with some taking their anger out on holiday-makers cars in the villages of Takeley and Canfield
Mum-of-two, Chris Drew, 40, from Canfield, said: ‘A policewoman knocked on our door a couple of weeks ago to ask whether we knew who had put the stickers on the cars.
‘We didn’t know but apparently they not only put stickers on but they also slashed their tyres which the policewoman said was a crime.
‘I just think people are really not happy.’
The parish council believe resident permits could be the solution, meaning cars that are left would be given fines.
However, Chris said residents are at a loss at what to do about the ‘dangerous’ parking situation.
She continued: ‘People park at the entrance of the estate and people speed round that corner and don’t think about oncoming traffic.
Little Canfield Resident Chris Drew, 40, standing in the street outside her house where many people park their cars instead of using airport parking
‘We have lots of children here who walk to and from school and they walk past that section so we do have to keep an eye on them. It’s quite dangerous.
‘We keep being told to speak to the council but we just feel like nothing gets done. What else can we do? No body seems to have any answers.
‘There was talk about permits but it would be dependent on cost because if you can’t afford it, do you not get a resident parking permit?
‘Not knowing what to do is quite frustrating, we just don’t know what the solution is.’
One woman, who wished to remain anonymous, saw things flare up first hand and described how one car tried to drive off with its tyres slashed.
She said: ‘There was an incident at about 3 a.m. in the morning. I woke up to loud radio music so I looked out my window and I saw a man sat in his car.
A group of people that had left their can in Roading Drive Little Canfield, Essex come back to find their tyres slashed
‘His car was covered in stickers and he tried to drive off but his tyres were slashed so I think he was quite angry and he was making a lot of noise.
‘Then neighbours came out and then the police and they managed to calm him down and then the breakdown van came to take him away at 6 a.m.
‘The following morning a couple with a young child parked there and they had their tyres slashed.
‘I think people are just really angry and frustrated about the whole situation.
‘Buses have even complained about it and now they’re thinking about not coming down here anymore.’
The parking tension has even caused rifts among neighbours with one resident Juliet Bentley describing how police have attended the neighbourhood.
The 71-year-old from Takeley said: ‘It’s a nightmare. We’ve had police come round, neighbours have fell out and it just causes arguments.
No airport parking sign in North Road in Takeley, Essex near Stansted
‘It’s been going on for a long time probably since the airport expanded and I’ve lived here for about 40 years.
‘We have all sorts happening outside, some people leave their car outside for weeks or even months!
‘They leave them there until they come back and then they just drive off. If we go out to the shop when we get back a car has parked in our space.
‘I think if you can afford to go on holiday, you can afford to pay for parking at the airport.’
Residents have even put signs up asking people not to park there in a bid to relieve their parking woes.
Juliet added: ‘We have tried putting signs up but they don’t pay any attention to them. When you go out to ask them to move you just get lots of abuse.
The parish council believe resident permits could be the solution, meaning cars that are left would be given fines
‘We just have to grin and bear it because we can’t really do anything and they can park there for weeks.
‘It’s not fair. These people don’t live here that’s what gets me but they have got the legal right to park there.
‘If their car is insured and taxed then there’s nothing we can do.’
Another resident, Terry Good, 61, said: ‘We have got too many cars parked here and residents are getting a little bit fed up.
‘As long as their cars are taxed and insured, then there’s nothing stopping them parking there but it’s caused havoc for people in the villages around Stansted.
‘People will park their car and wait for their taxis with their big bags and suitcases and the taxis just block the road. They just stop to pick them up and drop them off.
Residents in Beech Close, Takeley, Essex put bollards outside their homes to stop people parking their cars there instead of parking at Stansted Airport
‘It’s quite dangerous especially if ambulances and police can’t get through because they’ve blocked the road.’
However Terry explained how signs near his house have worked and act as a deterrent to stop people parking so close to his house.
Sarah Warnes, the chair of Little Canfield Parish Council, believes an introduction of yellow lines at roundabouts and junctions along with parking permits will help matters.
The North Essex Parking Partnership are responsible for managing parking in the residential areas surrounding Stansted Airport.
A spokesperson for the North Essex Parking Partnership said: ‘As a member of the Fly Parking Task Group, the NEPP is aware of this problem and enforces in residential areas in the vicinity of the airport as and when it can.
‘Restrictions limiting parking to a specific one-hour period are usually put in place around the airport to prevent commuters from all-day parking.
The North Essex Parking Partnership are responsible for managing parking in the residential areas surrounding Stansted Airport. A spokesperson said it would be happy to consider parking or waiting restriction requests from residents living in the vicinity of the airport
‘NEPP considers the potential benefits and impacts of many parking or waiting restriction requests from across north Essex and would be happy to do so for any submitted by residents living in the vicinity of the airport.
‘Applications for parking or waiting restrictions must be able to demonstrate clear support, including from the local ward councillor.
‘Each request is reviewed and scored, looking at key factors including the level of local support, potential benefits and impacts. Schemes are then referred to the NEPP committee to prioritise and agree which will be progressed.’