Not enough parking for over-60s in some bungalows in Dunmow, residents claim
Residents say there is not enough space for them to park by their own homes. - Credit: Archant
Angry older residents are speaking out against their battle for parking spaces outside their homes in Dunmow, now they are tired of appealing to Uttlesford District Council.
Waldgrooms bungalows - Credit: Archant
There is some parking for the complex of six bungalows in Waldgrooms, designed for over-60s residents, but people with allotments across the road, of which there are many, use the bays, residents claim leaving nowhere for home-owners to park.
Four of the six people living in the bungalows have a car, but carers and visitors also need room to park.
Resident David Baker, 69, said he once had to wait for four hours to get a space off-road as people were constantly coming and going, which he claims is not unusual.
There is on-road parking, but David and other car owners says they are reluctant to put their cars at risk on the fast road.
Two applications have now been submitted to the council, one last year and one this year, but it the council says when it investigated, it found there was enough room for everybody.
David said: “I had a bit of a row with them over it by because they are living for today, not for tomorrow. It has the potential for 32 cars here in the future with carers and visitors.
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“We feel that we are being let down by the council.”
He added: “But I cannot be horrible to the allotment holders because they are in the same position as us, they need somewhere to park too, it’s a vicious circle.”
Derek Gypps, 74, another campaigning resident who worked for 22 years at Dunmow Fire Station, wrote to the council: “We are all quite senior in the block so we look forward to being able to park our vehicles safely when we return from the hospital or the shops, or visiting, but unfortunately, the minute we go out an allotment person will drive straight in the bay.”
Judith Snares, housing and wellbeing manager at UDC, replied: “To gauge the need for increase parking spaces, a survey has recently been carried out. The area was visited on a number of different days and times including Saturday and Sunday.
“The results were analysed by the senior property surveyor responsible for parking schemes, and he has concluded that the need for additional parking is not supported by the findings.”
The letter also said it understood this result might be disappointing for some residents.
