Calls for lines to be drawn
CONCERNS have been raised over parking issues that are plaguing a new Teesside estate.
Residents say cars park along the side of The Rings, in Ingleby Barwick, near the Sandgate Park and The Rings Community Centre – with one social media user describing the situation as an “accident waiting to happen”. There have been calls for double yellow lines to be added as, with cars parked along the side, drivers say it is a tight squeeze.
Councillor Ross Patterson, member for Ingleby Barwick West, said the council is aware of the parking woes and has been working on finding a solution for years. With work ongoing between the council and housing developer Persimmons, plans are already in place to sort the issue.
Members of Ingleby Barwick Noticeboard took to social media to discuss the parking problems along The Rings where some claimed that the issues stemmed from nearby shopping parade Sandgate Park. The
complex has recently implemented an ANPR recognition parking system, where visitors can have a maximum of three hours stay with no return within an hour.
Some users claimed that staff members are parking along the road as they don’t have “anywhere else to park when going in to do a shift”. Others said that there are “still some cars after working hours that are parked there” and that some cars are from people who “have their own drives but don’t park on them.”
One person said that the road needs “double yellow lines asap” with another describing how the parking situation can make it dangerous for people driving, adding: “Due to the number of parked cars it’s hard to know there’s an oncoming vehicle sometimes – I know I can hardly see around most of the time!”
Concerns about parking in and around Sandgate have been raised by residents for years, with concerns initially being raised as the first few shops opened. Cllr Patterson said the initial idea for the area was that staff would park at the nearby store Tesco, rather than on the site.
He explained: “We ended up getting the car park that was adequate for the number of people that wanted to use it. Sandgate Park owners said they wanted staff to be parking up at Tesco and walking down – it’s a five-minute walk, so it’s not far.
“Tesco is free, there are no restrictions on it, other than you have to park in the bays. Once it all got completed, some of the shop owners were parking in the [Sandgate] car park. If you park in the car park, that means potential business and shoppers can’t park in that car park.
“They were initially given a permit so that one member of staff could park in there. Some of them were actually photocopying the permits, which was totally detrimental to their business owner’s trade. At that point, you can park on The Rings because it is unrestricted and it is a private road and Persimmon Homes have no problem with anybody parking on the road.”
As Persimmon Homes still own the site, Cllr Patterson said it restricts what the council is able to do. He explained: “There is a process to go through, and they haven’t quite finished The Rings development. When all that is done and all the final prep is done for the road and the section is handed over with that to Stockton Council, we can look at
something around that.
“We have got two initiatives that we are looking at. One of them is that we’ve got approval for about 14 parking bays on the rings, which has already been agreed with Stockton Council, has a £50,000 budget for it, and has all been designed. We’ve then got to go to consultation.
“The long-term solution is probably trying to get a residents’ area around Bancroft Drive. With those 14 parking bays, we might even be able to get 16, which would make a heck of a difference.”
A Persimmon Homes Teesside spokesperson said: “We are working closely with Stockton Council to finalise the adoption of the road and expect this process to be completed shortly.” The Gazette has tried to contact Parking Group Limited.