Narrow streets vex residents

Tension is building in the Hastings suburb of Frimley regarding residents not being able to access their homes, due to legally parked cars jamming narrow streets.

When residents attempted to circumvent the problem, by parking two wheels on the footpath, they received a parking ticket.

Resident Rochelle Payne took to social media last week to vent her annoyance at not being able to drive to her Lardon Place home.

She said she was "concerned fire truck or ambulance will be delayed if needed due to not being able to get through - tension building between neighbours because of this. So so wrong."

A neighbour, who declined to be identified, said a new residents' gathering last weekend had caused a problem.

Cars parked on opposite sides of the 6-metre wide road prevented vehicles from passing between them.

She said residents had to use common sense when parking, but not all did. She once had to ask a neighbour to move a car so she could drive to work.

"It has always been a bit of an issue but people just have to deal with it," she said.

"The street was already here when we all moved in. You just have to look where you are parking."

She said the council had written to residents, telling them a parking ban on one side of the road was an option.

Hastings District Council transport manager Jag Pannu said many Hastings subdivisions built during the past 10 years had streets of the same width but few complaints had been received.

"The issue of parking on both sides of Lardon Place has been raised in the past and again recently with our parking team, and a letter was sent to all residents asking that they show consideration to others when parking on the street," Mr Pannu said.

"It is important that access is maintained to all properties at all times, especially in the event of an emergency situation. This letter was followed with visits to the street by parking wardens, who issued some tickets for parking on a footpath."

He said residents should ensure their vehicles were parked so emergency services and footpath users had access.

"Vehicles must not be parked on footpaths, so that pedestrians, pushchairs and mobility scooters can access them, as well as avoiding damage caused by the weight of vehicles," Mr Pannu said.

He said a number of steps had to be taken before parking restrictions came into force.

"There must be a period of full and open consultation with all residents to determine whether there is a simple way of solving the problem. If there is no obvious solution, a recommendation can be made that parking is voluntarily restricted to one side of the street only. The final step is to have council approve parking on one side of the street and only then can a yellow line be painted on the street surface. Once this has been done, parking enforcement action can be taken."