Upton residents want more to be done about pavement parking

Purbeck Police have addressed parking issues in the areas in and around Dacombe Close in Upton following numerous complaints by residents over regular instances of drivers parking on pavements, double yellows, in front of driveways and on corners.

Boulders had to be placed around a green area at the bottom of the council-owned estate after some people parked and even drove over the grass.

While most households in Dacombe Close have driveways, residents say some neighbours from both in and out of the cul-de-sac ignore them.

Sylvia Peach has lived on the road since 1972 and told the Echo: “It’s a nightmare. People park on the corners and in front of drives so when residents try to get out of their houses, they can’t see anything.

Parking in Dacombe Close

“It’s happening everywhere. People who don’t even live in the Close come down to park here – that’s the worst part I think.”

When asked why she thought people parked in this way, Sylvia said: “They don’t care, do they? People will park where they want without thinking. It’s terrible.”

This comes soon after the government said it would consider its options for addressing pavement parking after a report by transport charity Sustrans described it as “discriminatory”.

• Read more: Major car parking rule change set to be considered

Resident of 33 years, Adrian Orchard, meanwhile, felt the issue was down to multiple cars per household and traffic from other local roads.

Upton residents want more to be done about pavement parking in and around Dacombe Close

He said: “Some nights I get home from work and can’t park at all, even outside my home.

“At one stage they discussed putting in a one-way parking system where all the cars park facing a certain way and we did try it, but people soon went back to their old habits.

“This is just the way it is now. It’s mostly a case of first come first served and you can end up anywhere around here.”

As for what could be done to combat the issue, residents generally had different suggestions. Sylvia and another man suggested more double yellow lines on both sides of the road, while Adrian said more parking infrastructure was needed.

Upton residents want more to be done about pavement parking in and around Dacombe Close

A Purbeck Police spokesperson said: “Following numerous complaints can we remind all drivers that parking on corners, double yellows, and pavements is causing some distress to a number of residents.

“Please park your vehicle on your own driveway or road parking at safe and suitable location. Try not to block the view of people exiting their own driveways. Please be considerate to all road and pavement users.

“Police can deal with stationary parked cars obstructing flow of traffic.”