Action call over lack of parking
IT’S October, the leaves are falling, and in the Swansea suburbs of Uplands and Brynmill, things are yet again getting tense for car owners.
A years-old conflict has risen again between permanent residents and students: the fight for a parking space.
Uplands and Brynmill have been student hotspots for decades, but long-term residents are saying the parking problem is getting worse year on year as the presence of houses of multiple occupation increases.
Shop manager Philip Cheater, 36, said: “Residents are having to park far from their own homes due to a higher number of students living in HMOS. Many of these HMOS also have multiple car owners, and there simply isn’t enough space within the area to accommodate this.
“There is a high volume of both residents and students all fighting for the limited spaces, but a lot of residents have told me just how far they have to park from their houses now due to higher student numbers.”
He added the situation has become so bad that it’s getting in the way of business, with many drivers treating the shop’s one-hour loading bay as an overnight parking spot.
Mr Cheater said a number of streets in Brynmill have a lack of road markings or restrictions, making the situation worse. While Swansea Council traffic wardens do patrol the area to enforce the rules, he thinks it simply isn’t enough.
He said: “There needs to be more residents’ parking zones in both Uplands and Brynmill, with more traffic wardens enforcing them. We rarely see them so people feel it’s okay to consistently park inconsiderately.”
Swansea University actively encourages its students and staff to choose alternative methods of travel wherever possible.
A spokesperson said previously: “The university works closely with First Cymru in order to provide the very best services for students and staff, including a 24-hour bus service which operates across the city, and last year we also introduced the Santander Cycles scheme with hubs across the city.”
Since Covid and Brexit-related staff shortages though, bus services have been significantly reduced over the past year, which seems to have had a knock-on effect on students relying on their own mode of transport.
A Swansea Council spokesman said: “Our parking enforcement officer regularly patrol streets in and around Uplands.
“We would urge motorists to park safely and legally or risk receiving a penalty charge notice.”