Ipswich resident fuming over state of parking in Bulstrode Road

An Ipswich resident is fuming over the state of parking in his road.

Ryan Archbell believes people parking in Bulstrode Road without permits were ‘taking advantage’ of the system without being punished, to the detriment of residents living in the area.

Last week, Ipswich Borough Council approved a price hike for on-street parking permits for larger vehicles in the hopes of addressing the number of spaces and the increasing number of vehicles on the road.

However, Mr Archbell believes they should go further by increasing enforcement to ensure people are not parking when they shouldn’t be, with more frequent visits from traffic wardens.

In addition, he wanted the authority to make it so that some roads were permit-only 24 hours per day so residents can park outside their homes.

A spokesperson for Ipswich Borough Council said it ensured resident parking zones were patrolled regularly and reports were investigated.

The 35-year-old said: “The whole scheme infuriates me. If I’m paying for a permit I expect a space.

“It has gotten to the point where I can’t work overtime as I need to ensure I get home early enough to get a parking space, or I know I’ll be parking on double yellows.

“Meanwhile, you get some people coming here, parking without a permit, and disappearing again for days at a time.

“It’s a blood-boiling situation to be in. If we’re paying for it, why aren’t they?”

Under the new parking rules, vehicles longer than 3.92 metres would have to pay more for a permit. Vehicles longer than six metres would be ineligible.

Residents with vehicles between 3.92 and 4.45 metres in length would pay £78 per year, while vehicles between 4.45 and six metres would be £98.

Traders would have to pay £38 or £48, respectively, up from £30 for a weekly permit while business permits would cost £400 or £500, up from £320.

Mr Archbell, who works as a lorry driver, said he supported the new rules, believing it would free up more space.

The number of vehicles parked in his road had caused other issues, he said, which has included a number of collisions due to lack of space and making the road difficult to navigate.

This was only worsened by vans taking up multiple spaces for cars, for which he had lodged a formal complaint.

Mr Archbell said he would support the council’s new rules in full if it made a tangible difference to parking in the area.

He was also willing to pay more for a permit if he was more likely to get a space.

Mr Archbell added: “I think another problem is that people don’t know how to park.

“Hopefully this price increase will make a difference with parking but I just want someone from the council to acknowledge the issues and do something about it. There’s a patch of grass at the top of the road that could be levelled out to create more space.

“My feelings are shared by other people in the area and we had one family leave because it was so bad.”

The on-street parking scheme requires a permit Monday to Saturday between 8am-6pm, the borough council spokesperson said.

“Blue Badge holders can also park in the parking bays at any time when displaying a blue badge and the same applies for tradespeople who are displaying the correct pass,” they added

“Bulstrode Road is part of zone five. Permits for vans can be issued if the owner/user is a resident within the zone or is using a visitor or trade permit. If space were used by non-permit holders, they would be liable to receive a Penalty Charge Notice from a Civil Enforcement Officer, the same as any other vehicle parked in contravention.

“On any given road there may be insufficient space at certain times to meet the demand for parking from permit holders and therefore the scheme in place works on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.

“We encourage anyone who sees a vehicle parking illegally to report it to us via www.ipswich.gov.uk/content/report-parking”