Parking problem sparks calls for East Park gates to reopen
SPACES OUTSIDE HOMES ARE BEING TAKEN BY PARK USERS
RESIDENTS near Hull’s East Park have called for its gates to be reopened in a bid to free up hundreds of parking spaces outside their homes.
Resident Denise Harrison said she and others had petitioned Hull City Council to open the gates so visitors could leave vehicles on East Park’s roads rather than surrounding streets.
She added mounting traffic affecting East Park Avenue, Westminster Avenue and other nearby streets posed a hazard to pedestrians and left residents unable to find spaces outside their homes.
A Hull City Council spokesperson said: “The decision to close the East Park gates was made at the start of the pandemic with the view being that by not allowing vehicles into the park, this would improve safety and benefit users of the park during the pandemic. This continues to be the view.”
Residents attended the meeting with councillors in a bid to find a solution to the issue.
Ms Harrison said: “They’re saying these gates are going to be closed for good, they’re using coronavirus as an excuse.
“They’ve also said it’s part of their green agenda to encourage more people to walk and cycle there.
“That might make the park greener, but not the surrounding streets.
“People are driving down and then circling around streets like Westminster Avenue looking for somewhere to park.
“The traffic’s also dangerous, there’s The Old Park Shop that sells sweets and kids queue outside.
“We’ve had a meeting with councillors and they said they’re happy for us to have residential parking permits but they said we’d have to pay for them.
“But this isn’t a two street issue, if we got the permits then the cars would just start going down other streets and the problem would move there, that’s why we want the gates opened.
“We don’t feel listened to, so we’ve taken matters into our own hands and started a petition.
“They’ve opened the car park of Woodford Leisure Centre, but it’s not enough, and the traffic will get heavier when we get into spring and summer.
Councillor Linda Tock, Liberal Democrat member for Holderness Ward on Hull City Council, said: “It’s really important that we listen to local residents, we’ve had almost nine months of this now.
“The trouble with the permits is you’re just pushing the problem around rather than solving it.
“They’re quite prepared to open the gates for events, so what’s the difference?
“We had an issue with the side gates being left open in summer and that enabling antisocial behaviour, that’s been resolved now.
“The meeting was difficult, one of the things that came through was that we’ve got problems with parking across the city.
“But here we’re talking about families with small children, and if residents go out in their cars when they get back they can’t park anywhere near their houses.
“More people want to come and enjoy the park, what we’re saying is that they should be able to come and enjoy it without having to worry about finding a space and without causing problems for residents and pedestrians.”