We rage about school-run parents stealing our permit spots – we’re getting new parking spots, but it won’t help

RESIDENTS are angry at parents run by school stealing their parking spaces.

Residents who live next door to Sutherland Elementary School are getting a new residents-only car park – but they claim it won’t help.

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Mums and dads have so far had no qualms about taking their residents-only rooms – and have even hurled abuse when asked to move.

Residents, who pay £38 a year for parking permits outside their bungalows, say nothing can stop parents from occupying the spaces in Stoke, Staffordshire.

Weary John Hallam, 75, claimed a neighbor who dared to write down the registration of an infringing car saw his window bricked up hours later.

And he told how a driver jostling for space scratched his car and caused £3,000 of damage.

John, a retired contract manager, said: “I’ve only had the car a couple of weeks. Luckily insurance covered it but it still cost me the £350 excess.

“They don’t care that they’re not supposed to park there – they do it anyway.

“There’s never a guard to give them tickets, so they feel like they can get away with it.

“We don’t dare go out and confront them about the abuse you get.

“They’re told they can’t park there and they just say, ‘I can park wherever I want’ — and that’s a nice way of putting it.

“It’s just awful when you’re in school.

“I’m going fishing and have to be back by 2.20pm or I can’t park in front of the house.

“You can’t just go to the shops or anything. Both sides of the streets are full.

“They are zigzagging in front of the school, at the school entrance.

“The school put up barriers to stop them, but they just push them over.

“I tried putting up cones to keep space but they just got out of their cars and moved them.

“They are a law unto themselves. It’s been running for 25 years. We just have enough of it.”

Neighbors Frank and Cynthia Moran, 75, claim they were scolded by parents after asking them to move their cars from outside their home.

PARKING CRAZY

They blasted the council for not doing enough to bar drivers from parking without permits.

Frank, 74, said: “If you go out and don’t come back by 8.30am, you have to stay out until 9.20am.

“When you’re out in the afternoon, you’re like, ‘Oh god, we better go back, the school run starts in half an hour.’

“Everyone just parks where they want. We only see the park rangers three times a year when they book people.

“The rest of the time they can do whatever they want.”

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is currently establishing 16 off-road car parks for the eight houses near Sutherland School.

This means residents can park on municipal driveways rather than on the curb where the parking permit system is in place.

But neighbors remain concerned that school-run parents will simply continue to block them.

Retired audio typist Margaret Garner, 75, said: “We damaged cars, blew off wing mirrors, rammed boots.

“When we drive out in our cars, we can’t get in because of the school run.

“You say something to them and all you get is insults. They say, “We paid the road tax, we can fucking park here” or “I’ll only be there two fucking minutes”.

“But where can we park once they are in our lots? We pay money for these parking spaces and we cannot park on them.

“It’s now the end of October and we’ve had a parking attendant outside since the start of the school year. That was the first day of school in September.

“Parents park there because they know they can get away with it.

“They know there’s a £70 fine if they’re picked up, but that doesn’t stop them.

“It’s selfish behavior.

“You wouldn’t like it if I parked in front of your house, would you?”

“We don’t blame the kids. It’s not the kids; it’s the parents who don’t leave their cars at home and walk to school.”

Stoke Councilor Lorraine Beardmore said: “Work is beginning on a new parking scheme on Beaconsfield Drive to create 16 new off-road car parks to address parking problems and road safety concerns at the top of Beaconsfield Drive.

“The work is expected to start on Monday October 24th and will last for eight weeks.”

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