Residents living near a Lancashire college say they are ‘trapped’ by nightmare parking as they struggle to use their cars during term time.
Many residents who share the area with Cardinal Newman College in Preston said they dread having to move their vehicles because they know they won’t be able to get back into their drives.
They have also claimed that ambulances and bin lorries are unable to navigate the chock-a-block street.
Along the road opposite the college are many cars blocking driveways and dipped curbs, with drivers ignoring numerous ‘no parking’ signs.
Residents living near a Lancashire college are ‘trapped’ by nightmare parking as students use their road during term time
Residents living in the roads surrounding Cardinal Newman College in Preston said dread having to move their vehicles because they know they won’t be able to get back into their drives
Hajra Gangat, who lives on the corner of Tiber Street next to the college, said she needs to use her car daily to drop off and collect her young children.
But Ms Gangat said that sometimes she finds herself trapped.
She said: ‘It’s an absolute nightmare. college students sometimes block or drive and we can’t get the car out. If we do take the car out, it’s a mission trying to get it back in the drive.
‘If I can, I avoid going out during the day during term time. I struggle to park in the drive anyway but sometimes I have to park on the road and I can’t even get a space on the estate.
‘Sometimes, if cars are really badly parked on that corner,’ she gestured to where Arno Street and Tiber Street meet, ‘we can’t get out cars round the corner, you have to be really careful to try and get your car round. It causes a huge jam and you just think “what do I do now?”‘
Locals have also claimed that ambulances and bin lorries are unable to navigate the chock-a-block street
Many residents have placed numerous ‘no parking’ signs on their driveways but they are ignored by students
Ms Gangat said she thinks some system of residents only permit would help solve the issue, but at the moment, she finds herself looking forward to the weekends and holidays when there is no college.
Mr Panchal, who lives across the road from Ms Gangat, said he has placed ‘no parking’ signs on his gates and cones outside his house.
He said: ‘Sometimes I struggle to get my car out because there’s a car parked over my drive. We put the signs up but they take no notice. We put cones out and they just throw them about the street. People can’t get out of the estate because of poor parking.
‘There needs to be double yellow lines on each corner of this estate and if anyone parks there they need to be ticketed. Sometimes, because of the way people have parked on the corners, it causes accidents because you just can’t see round the cars.
‘It would help the residents because they’re only ever going to park on their drive or in front of their house, its those coming to the estate who don’t live here who don’t park properly.
‘It’s got to the point where the bin men or ambulances can’t get down the street because of the cars. It’s causing issues everywhere.’
Students at Cardinal Newman College (pictured) on Larkhill Road in Preston, Lancashire, park their cars during term time on the surrounding residential roads
Mr Panchal said a couple of years ago, he had a car towed that had parked in front of his drive because he needed to get out, but he says the problem is ongoing.
Mr Panchal’s daughter said that she’d even seen youngsters vandalise cars that were parked on the estate. She said: ‘We’ve seen [them] mess with windscreen wipers if they recognise their friend’s car.
‘One time, a [driver] had left their window open and [someone] had poured an energy drink in through the gap. We watched from the window in disbelief that it had happened.’
Another resident, who did not want to be named, said the issue has been going on for that long that they are used to it. She said: ‘It is a nightmare. We don’t have a drive and we struggle to park in front of our own house.
‘Anytime before the college day starts or any time after it ends, we don’t have issues, but all day it is a nightmare. If we want to go out we have to accept that our space might not be there when we get back.’
Cardinal Newman College and Lancashire County Council have both been approached for comment by MailOnline.