Glasgow West End residents slam parking chaos outside homes

People staying in Hyndland’s Redlands Road and Kirklee Road say they have been calling on council bosses to impose permits or double yellow lines for more than four years after watching the problem become worse with every passing month.

They say the situation is now so bad that people are scared to move their cars for fear of not being able to get within half a mile of their own front door.

On one occasion holidaymakers parked a campervan in the street and used it as a base for a city break - even attempting to cook on an outdoor gas stove as bewildered locals looked on.

Janette Lynch has lived there for 34 years and says the issue has now reached crisis point.

Janette Lynch (Image: Gordon Terris)

She told the Glasgow Times: “Apart from the fact that it is totally unacceptable for residents to not be able to park anywhere near their homes, someone is going to end up being run over because of the double parking.

“Honestly, the street resembles an Asda car park at Christmas, it has become an absolute joke.

“There’s one individual who parks up and leaves his car here for two weeks at a time. He lives 20 minutes away but doesn’t want to pay to park at his place, so leaves his vehicle here and walks home.

“At one point we even had a French family park a campervan across from my house. We couldn’t believe our eyes one day when they pulled out a stove and attempted to use it in the middle of the street.”

Residents say that because parts of their neighbourhood are exempt from restrictions, people are using it to dodge parking charges and to avoid entering Glasgow city centre’s controversial Low Emissions Zone.

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Janette, 67, added: “Many of the roads nearby are either residential parking only or have meters or double yellow lines. But for some reason, five or six streets here have been left out, and as a result everyone thinks Kirklee can be used for a free stopover.

“There are three schools close by and cars are just abandoned wherever there’s a space or left, causing an obstruction on the pavement, or double parked. It means people are forced to walk on the busy road and it’s only a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt as drivers whizz past to beat the lights.

“We’ve been asking for speed bumps to be installed for years, but we are constantly being fobbed off with excuses about council budgets. It’s not good enough and something needs to change.”

Janette says the issue has escalated since the introduction of the LEZ because of the street’s proximity to a subway station.

The LEZ means older vehicles that fail to meet specific emissions standards - Euro 6 for diesel and Euro 4 for petrol - are not allowed to enter the city centre without a financial penalty being imposed.

Residents also say it’s become impossible for deliveries to be made in the street or for family and friends to visit.

Janette added: “On the very rare occasion a space becomes available it’s so tight you can’t get the boot of your car open. It’s pretty much bumper to bumper and if you move the space is taken in the blink of an eye – and you might not get it back for a fortnight!

“My family find it impossible to get anywhere near my home as the only option is to park miles and hoof it when they want to visit. I recently had a painter and decorator in for work and he ended up getting fined because he had to leave his van in another street. It just makes living here difficult - we pay a hefty council tax levy, yet we can’t park outside our homes.

“It really is becoming unbearable, and you can see why people are starting to choose to move to other areas.”

A spokesperson for the council said they are aware of the issue and are working towards a fix for later this year.

They added: “Redlands Road has been prioritised for a residents' parking zone as part of a wider proposal to introduce parking controls in the Kirklee area of the city.

“A recent parking survey of the area highlighted the impact of problem parking in this neighbourhood and we have also been receiving feedback about the issue from the local community.

“Initial proposals for a Kirklee parking zone should be available by the end of spring and we hope to move to the formal process for a traffic regulation order over this summer.

“Resident parking schemes have been successful in other communities as they help to reduce commuter parking and increase the availability of spaces closer to people's homes.

“Fewer parked cars also mean greater road safety, particularly for pedestrians, and also ease of access to streets for vehicles from the emergency and cleansing services."