COUNCILLORS will be asked to support a campaign to change a decision banning residents in Grays from parking outside their homes – which they had previously been allowed to do.
Over recent weeks the Thurrock Independent reported on the issue in Lodge Lane, which has seen the council back down after issuing parking tickets, a senior councillor offer apologise and then u-turn as the authority’s senior enforcement officer rode roughshod over residents and councillors’ wishes and scrapped a longstanding agreement.
Residents on the south side of Lodge Lane have long been permitted to park on areas of hard standing outside their homes as long as they don’t park on grass verges or obstruct the pavement.
Residents received written permission to do so from the council in 2005 and the issue was reviewed and allowed to continue five years later.
However, in August – and without any notice – residents were shocked to find their vehicles had been ticketed. After protests the council backed down and cancelled the tickets.
Highways portfolio holder Aaron Watkins then issued an apology saying the fines had been issued in error but within days, Phil Carver, the council’s strategic lead on enforcement and community protection, wrote to residents between Piggs Corner and the Treacle Mine and told them restrictions would be enforced and illegal parkers would be subject to fines.
At Wednesday night’s full council meeting councillors are being called on to back a review of that decision.
Ward councillor John Kent has submitted a motion that says: “Thurrock Council notes that since decriminalisation of parking in 2005 residents of Lodge Lane have been able to park on their crossovers – as they had been able to for decades before.
“The decision to enforce against residents parking in this way has caused significant anger and concern against those affected. Council calls on Cabinet to revisit this decision and find a way of allowing residents to park in the way they have for many, many years without any problem.”
