Council turns down bid for permit parking in clogged Northampton town centre street

Krisztian Piko and Rebecca Trusler of Exeter Place, just off the Wellingborough Road, gathered 50 names on the petition in a matter of days in September this year.

It called on the county council to consider introducing a parking permit scheme on their street because they said too many non-residents were leaving their cars there and in adjoining Market Street before heading into town.

But the authority has now responded by saying the petition did not represent the views of all the residents there - even though signatures were obtained from almost all of the tenants living in the two Northampton Partnership Homes-owned flat blocks in Market Street.

A spokesman for Northamptonshire County Council said: “Having liaised with the county councillor for the area and the residents’ association it is understood that the petition does not fully represent the majority view of all the residents on the estate.

“For a permit scheme to be considered it must be supported by the majority of the households in the area.

“The petitioner had been contacted in September to explain the situation.”

Mr Piko, 33, says he is disappointed by the decision.

"We are one of the closest roads to town where you can park for free, so it's still comfortable for people to walk from here to the Grosvenor Centre," he said.

"It's getting really annoying seeing people who live two or three roads away parking here as well.

"When you come home from work you are thinking where should I park the car? Around every second day, we can't get a space. I don't want to have to put my car in the Grosvenor Centre car park."

Mr Piko says that, though there is a residential parking area, people are reluctant to use it because it is poorly lit and cars have recently been broken into there.

"Permit parking would be a pretty good idea here," he added.

"Then people who don't belong here won't park here."