We put up SPIKES to stop drivers parking outside our homes – but it’s dividing opinion
Furious homeowners have put up spikes up to stop ‘disgraceful’ parking on their road.
Neighbours fed up by cars constantly parking on the grass verge in front of their homes banded together in Ancoats, Manchester.
It comes after United Utilities workers asked motorists to remove their cars from the grass verge to carry out repairs to pipes.
But work wasn’t able to start as scheduled on Thursday, residents claim.
The grass verge outside the row of terrace homes is covered in tyre marks from regular use as car parking spaces.
And residents have had enough.
They launched a petition to call on the council to solve the problem, but say nothing has been done.
Mum Jaime Lightbrowne, 36, said: “It’s an accident waiting to happen. I want to stop people getting hurt rather than waiting for someone to get hurt.”
She said a “mixture of neighbours” built a fence out of wooden sticks and red and white tape.
“Someone put some of the sticks up and others said ‘we will have a go at putting it up too’.”
Jaime added that as of 2:15pm on Thursday she had seen “no sign” of United Utilities staff.
Liberal Democrat campaigner Chris Northwood, who lives on the road, said people have been forced to leave out cones to stop parking.
He added: “It’s become a flashpoint. Some have had windows smashed.”
Councillors in the area agree the situation is “disgraceful”.
Couns Irene Robinson and Majid Dar said in a joint statement: “Parking down Weybridge Street and the surrounding area is disgraceful and we share residents’ anger on it.
“It makes it harder to drive down the street and wrecks the grass.
“We’ve been fighting for more funding to combat this and last year Majid Dar secured an expansion of the Eastlands parking scheme, so we can tackle this head on.”
Jaime said that since launching the petition, council officers have promised to look at enforcement.
She added: “Nothing concrete has come from the council, only because they are waiting for feedback from the Eastlands parking scheme before putting plans forward for the Ancoats one for consultation.
“Officers have said though that they will speak to enforcement about short-term and long-term things.”
When the petition was launched, a spokesperson from Manchester council said: “Funding has been secured by the council to develop a residents’ parking scheme in Ancoats and New Islington, a project the council remains committed to.
“This project is currently in the early stages of development, with data being collected on how residents and businesses use this area.
“It is important that engagement takes place to ensure the type and frequency of parking issues caused by out of area vehicles can be thoroughly assessed and understood.
“When the time comes the council would encourage all residents to make their views known so that the final scheme is best suited to their needs.”
It said the council was “limited in regards to enforcement” because there are currently no double yellow lines or parking bays in the area.
“The council has on several occasions lobbied central government to give greater powers to local authorities to allow problematic parking, such as the kind on display in Ancoats, can be properly addressed.”