Wigan Council says it can do no more to help residents in permit row

They have been calling for a parking permit scheme to be imposed because a high volume of motorists, who do not live in the area, are using their street to park up and visit nearby attractions including the DW Stadium and Robin Park retail complex.

Neighbours say it is also used by people working at Wigan Police Station, which borders the street.

Frustrated residents feel that introducing a permit scheme will curb the issue, and have sent petitions to the town hall which show that all residents are unanimously in favour.

However, the town hall said a permit scheme would only move the issue elsewhere rather than solve it.

But one of Laurel Street’s natives, Dezso Adorjan, said more action needed to be taken to stop inconsiderate motorists from causing havoc for the neighbours.

Mr Adorjan said: “I come home from work and I want to park but have nowhere. I am literally having to park up all the way down the road at Aldi, as do my neighbours. My neighbour has had a ticket twice because he’s had no choice but to park on double yellow lines.

“We have either shoppers to the retail park, people going to the police station or the DW.

“Bearing in mind that we only have eight houses on this street, the volume of traffic is quite bad. Particularly come Christmas time or on match days, you get cars whizzing up and down, trying to get a spot on our street.

“On many occasions, I have come home from work and the space outside the front of my house is taken. And our neighbours all have the same problems.

“On a few occasions I’ve even had people parking on my drive. This issue is forcing us off our own street.”

He added: “I’ve been battling now for five years with the council who are just constantly ignoring us.”

Mr Adorjan also contacted the Local Government Ombudsman on behalf of all the residents, but the watchdog said it would not investigate the matter because they were “unlikely to find fault” in the council’s handling of the matter.

A Wigan Council spokesperson said: “The Council has attempted to work with the complainant and residents on the street extensively and assist in a number of ways by installing double yellow lines, a ‘No through road’ sign, and white ‘H-bar’ markings on the road outside residents’ driveways to deter people parking there.

“Permit parking schemes are never introduced for individual streets as it just moves the problem elsewhere.

“The Ombudsman has already noted how the council has tried to assist where it can and found there was no case to answer in relation to a permit scheme.”